The Beginning of the End
by CrescentMoon12
Summary: Here Harry still has to face Voldemort again and again, but this time he has Lily and James to guide him through the struggles he faces whilst fighting the world's most evil wizard.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

**A/N: I was checking my story, and I realised that there was a lot of stuff that wasn't so good...so I changed a bit. I hope you like it and please review at the end. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter 1:The Beginning

February 23rd, 1980

Lily Potter entered the hall of Potter Manor and sat down in her favorite armchair as Dorea Potter walked into the room.

"Hi Lily. Where's Charles?" Dorea asked, as she sat down on the sofa.

"Not sure. He was with your son," Lily replied as Dorea started to frown

"Goodness knows why I married that man. Forgetful to the core he is! We were going to start deciding on the designs for the new part of the East Wing," Dorea explained.

"Umm...Dorea, I need to tell you something hugely unexpected and very exciting. Well...umm I am pregnant!" Lily squealed.

Without giving Dorea Potter a chance to reply, another person entered the room. He was handsome with hair springing up in all four directions, round glasses and soft hazel eyes. He strode across the room in a flash, picked Lily up and grinned as he twirled her round and round until...

"JAMES CHARLES POTTER! You put me down this instant before I hex off your bits!" Lily shouted.

You're pregnant! We're having a baby! Mum...Lily's pregnant! This is great! This is good," James cheered as Charles Potter rushed down the stairs.

"Congratulations Lily, I heard you all from all the way up there! Boy oh boy, I am a Grandpa! Aren't I too young?" Charles said.

"No, you're fine, just fine, and I haven't had the baby yet. There are still around 6 months!" Lily exclaimed.

"This calls for a celebration. A non-alcoholic one, of course," Dorea announced, grinning.

* * *

James and Lily's Bedroom

"James,, are you happy?" Lily asked,, looking up at him.

"Yes,, I am. Why are you so worried, honey?" James replied.

"It's just that I know you're not too eager on having a baby in the middle of the war." ," Lily answered as she cupped his face in her hands.

"No, I'm not too eager on having a baby in the middle of this war. But what if this war doesn't end for another twenty or thirty years? What if one of us dies like your parents did right after our wedding? He's targeting us Lily and I am sure it's because we rejected him. I want this child as much as I want this war to end, Lily and no matter what happens, one of us will always be there to take care of our baby." James said fiercely as he caressed her hands and looked deep into her piercing emerald green eyes.

"Yes, we will and we'll always have Charles and Dorea. Not to mention Padfoot, Moony and Wormtail. We're almost the safest we could be." Lily agreed, grinning as James pulled her close for a tight hug and leaneded down to capture her lips with his as her he slid his hands up her shirt.

"Let me make love to you tonight, Lily," James said, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Have I ever said no?" Lily asked. Those were the last pair of words that they uttered that night.

* * *

"What's up, Prongs? Why have you invited us here?" Sirius asked in an accusing tone as he entered Potter Manor.

"Invite us here? We practically live here, Padfoot," Remus said, rolling his eyes.

"True, my friend. But seriously what's the good news?" Sirius continued.

"That's for me to know and you to find out." James answered.

"Where are Charles, Dorea and Lily?" Peter asked.

"Follow me." James he led them into the living room where Dorea, Charles and Lily were standing.

"Sirius, Remus, Peter!" Dorea squealed, hugging each of them as they came into the hall.

"Hi, Mum." Sirius said, winking at Remus.

"No, thank you, Sirius. I already have one troublemaker and I am going to have another one soon. I don't need you as well." Dorea replied, causing James to shout 'Hey!'

"What do you mean you're going to have another troublemaker, Dorea? James married Lily six months ago." Remus said, returning Sirius' wink and wincing as Lily cuffed him on the head.

"When are you going to tell them the news?" Charles asked.

"Yeah, don't keep us waiting," Peter added.

"Well, as you all know, James and I have been married for six months now," Lily began, causing James to turn scarlet and run his fingers through his genetically messy hair. "I think it's about time, but I am pregnant."

Dorea and Charles grinned as Sirius and Remus picked Lily up and spun her round and by one.

"Put me down, you idiots!" Lily exclaimed, grinning as they put her down and kissed her cheeks in turn.

"C-congratulations, Lily. But I ought to go. M-mum wants me home by ten o'clock today." Peter stammered and left the house without waiting for a reply. A loud crack told them all that he had gone.

"He still has curfew? I thought we grew out of those ages ago!" Sirius exclaimed, breaking the silence and causing everyone to laugh at his incredulity.

"Peter has been acting strange recently." Charles said.

"That he has. Anyway, I am quite sure I heard a few rumbling stomachs so let's go to the Dining dining Roomroom. Dotty and Daisy have made quite an elaborate meal, I hear." Dorea suggested.

They entered the Dining dining Room room just as the food was being served. Then the six adults and two house-elves began to tuck into the delicious pot roast.

"Oh, I almost forgot to mention, Alice's baby is due around the same time as mine." Lily announced.

"Really? I bet Alice is glad. She has wanted a baby so badly for ages." Dorea commented.

"Mmm...This is the stuff. I wish I knew how to cook like this." Sirius murmured.

"Daisy could teach Master Sirius if he wishes." Daisy suggested.

"Nah, I'm good. I've got Jenny staying over for a week, so I am all set." Sirius replied, grinning.

"Jenny? What happened to Melissa?" Remus asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Melissa. Oh, she's old news." Sirius said, grinning as Lily and Dorea exchanged exasperated glances.

"Right, so Prongs, can I crash here tonight?" Remus asked.

"Yeah sure, Sirius?" James said.

"I'm going home to make love to Jenny." Sirius replied.

"Before you go Sirius...Lily and I would like to ask you to be the godfather of our first baby." James said.

"I'd be honoured, Prongs." Sirius answered, blinking back tears. Sirius hugged everyone before he left.

"Remus, would you be so kind as to fill in the place of an honorary uncle?" Lily asked.

"Damn right, I would." Remus said as he embraced her.

"Good night, everyone." Dorea said as she took Charles' hand and led him up to their room, grinning as she thought of her devilish plan to seduce him.

Lily and James hugged Remus one last time before the three of them went to their respective rooms to sleep.

**A/N: Hello again, I hope you liked that. Remember to review please. Thank you so much for reading.**

**Love,**

**Ishani**


	2. Chapter 2: Learning About the Prophecy

(A/N: Please read and review!)

Disclaimer: I shall not and will not ever own Harry Potter

Three Months Later...

"C'mon, hurry up Lily." James shouted as he headed for the door of Potter Manor.

Lily scowled as she came down the stairs, " Well it would take you just as long if you had a stomach this large."

They both went out of Potter Manor and Apparated in Hogsmeade.

"What do you think Dumbledore wants to talk about?" Lily whispered after she had gotten over her dizziness.

"I don't know, but he seemed pretty serious. Lily, it's probably something to do with Voldemort. I mean what else could it be about?"

"That's a very good point James," Lily said as they reached Hogwarts.

They went upstairs and stood in front of the gargoyle, "Password please?"

"Fawkes!" Lily exclaimed, grinning as the gargoyle let them pass.

They walked into a large circular room where Albus Dumbledore greeted them with an oddly forced smile, "James, Lily. Come in. This would be such a pleasurable visit if I didn't have to tell you what I have to tell you."

James and Lily sat down rather anxiously. James placed a hand on Lily's stomach wondering what news Dumbledore had to tell and whether it had anything to do with the baby.

"Come to the pensieve please." Dumbledore requested, leading them towards a shallow basin.

"This is a memory of the night I was at the Hog's Head...umm maybe Lily should sit down...the story might take longer to tell than I thought," Once Lily was seated Dumbledore continued, "I was at the Hog's Head a mere month ago interviewing a woman called Sybil Trelawney for the position of a new Divination teacher. Although I have never been interested in the subject, I was inclined to give her a chance, her being the great granddaughter of celebrated Seer, Cassandra Trelawney. I realised soon that she was a fraud. I was about to leave when her eyes turned glassy and she went into this trance. It was so alarming; this is what she said...now maybe I should show you the memory."

Summoning the basin, Dumbledore reached up to his head and pulled out a silvery-white substance and dropped it into the pensieve. They saw a lady with a gauzy shawl and shiny bangles. Her eyes had turned misty and foggy, her body was stiff. She began to speak, _" The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hands of the other for neither can live while the other survives...the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."_

"W-what does this mean?" Lily asked, her bottom lip trembling as she fought back her tears.

"Well...it means that a child, born to a couple who have defied Lord Voldemort three times has the power to defeat the Dark Lord. You two qualify for this prophecy because you escaped him when Voldemort killed Lily's parents. You escaped him when he asked you to join ranks with him and you escaped when he and his Death Eaters cornered you when you had gone out for a day of shopping." Dumbledore replied.

"But we can't be the only couple who've thrice defied him." James pointed out.

"You aren't the only couple who've thrice defied him but you are one of the two couples who are having a baby as the seventh month dies." Dumbledore said sadly.

"Alice and Frank?" Lily asked, her bottom lip trembling as she fought back tears.

"Yes. But the Death Eater who turned spy for us has informed me that Lord Voldemort intends to go after you and not the Longbottoms. " Dumbledore sighed.

"So he wants to kill our baby?" Lily asked, as tears poured down her face. James sighed and pulled her close and was happier as he felt Lily snuggling into him.

"Don't we have a chance at all?" James asked weakly.

"You do. I recommend the Fidelius Charm." Dumbledore suggested.

"Why do we have to hide? We're more than capable of fighting him." James said.

"It's not a question of what you are capable of. I know you can duel exceptionally but it's more of a question of being safe." Dumbledore replied.

"SAFE? No one is safe right now. I'm not going to let that asshole kill my family." James shouted.

"James. Don't argue. You know I'm right and you know Charles and Dorea would agree with me." Dumbledore stated firmly

"James, it's not like we're going to be hiding properly, I mean some people will know where we are. We'll have a Secret Keeper and well look at the bright side: we won't have to go to any ministry parties." Lily said squeezing his hand and looking deep into his eyes knowing James would relent.

"Fine. So Sirius is Secret Keeper right?" James enquired.

"Do you think it's safe to trust Sirius with this? We have a traitor within the Order and only the person you would trust with your life should have the honour of the Secret Keeper. Are you sure?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes. We trust Sirius. We know he'd die for us if he had to." Lily replied.

"I'd be quite..." Dumbledore began.

"No, Sirius will do just fine." James interrupted.

"Alright then. Find a house and go into hiding ASAP. Remember say Voldemort is coming after you and not your baby. Remember, Remus and Sirius are perceptive." Dumbledore said before he waved goodbye as they flooed into Potter Manor.

**********

"MUM, DAD!" James shouted as they had entered. Dorea and Charles came rushing down the stairs.

"Is everything ok?" Dorea asked.

"No." Lily said simply while James flooed Sirius, Remus and Peter, asking them to come right now.

"Can you tell us what is going on?" Charles asked.

"Yeah. Tell us." Sirius said as he stepped out of the floo followed by Remus and Peter.

"James and I have just had a meeting with Dumbledore and have found out that Voldemort is after us. We need to go into hiding and we need to do it fast so we need a Secret Keeper. Sirius if you would be so kind as to fill in that position. Anyone got any suggestions as to where James and I should go into hiding?" Lily asked.

"How about Godric's Hollow? It's deserted and there aren't many people we know who live there apart from Bathilda Bagshot and well Kendra Dumbledore used to live there once upon a time but that isn't important right now." Dorea suggested.

"As you say guys. I'd be honoured to be Secret Keeper and you can be sure I'd die before giving out your location to those bastards." Sirius said pulling James and Lily towards him for a group hug.

"I know Sirius," Lily said.

The next evening James, Sirius and Lily were standing at the doorstep of Godric's Hollow.

"Aren't Dorea and Charles coming here too?" Sirius asked.

"No, they didn't want to. Although mum said she would if Lily started to feel too ill. They're also sending Daisy along to help. You ready for this Padfoot?" James said.

"Yes, but I was thinking yesterday, don't you think this is obvious?" Sirius questioned.

"Us going into hiding or you being Secret Keeper?" Lily asked.

"The second one. If we use a decoy of some sort, it would be so much harder for Voldemort to come after you." Sirius suggested.

"So we use you as bait. Are you bloody out of your mind?" Lily asked.

"No, but we I pretend to be your Secret Keeper and then he can come if he likes and torture me but it won't really make a difference because I'm not the Secret Keeper. If we use someone who isn't as likely to be chosen as Secret Keeper there will be more chance of you surviving." Sirius pointed out.

"You have a good point but it'll be putting you into a lot of danger." James said.

"What if I am willing to do the task?" Sirius asked.

"Who would take your place then?" Lily questioned.

"Peter. Voldemort wouldn't suspect him and well as Peter needs protection it may be the easiest way to keep you safe." Sirius explained.

"Okay I see where you are coming from and fine, if you don't mind, I don't." James agreed.

Sirius Disapparated to get Peter.

"We're not telling Charles, Dorea or Remus?" Lily asked James.

"No. The fewer people that know, the better it is." James replied.

After Peter arrived, Lily and James explained the change of plan and Lily performed the charm.

"Does it work?" Peter asked.

"Prongs, where do you live?" Lily asked.

"I live in...umm where do I live?" James questioned, running his fingers through his messy hair.

"23 Woodfield Avenue, Godric's Hollow." Peter told him.

Lily nodded, "I remember now." It had worked. Lily smiled as realised their safety was almost guaranteed.


	3. Chapter 3: Halloween

A/N: Hi Guys! Hope you've enjoyed the first two chapters! This chapter is so long!!!! 7 pages in size 10 ahhhhh! Lol! Read and Review please!

Disclaimer: I have never and will never own Harry Potter...:( :(

31st July 1980...

Lily and James were sitting at the kitchen table talking in hushed voices when Remus flooed into Godric's Hollow.

"Hey guys, am I interrupting something?" Remus asked, standing in the doorway.

"No, come in Remus," Lily replied smiling.

"What's this little conversation about then?" Remus questioned.

"Well, we were talking about...Lils what's wrong?" James asked as he saw pain reflect on Lily's face.

"What? Oh nothing it's just...SHIT!" She replied as liquid poured down her legs, "I think I might be having the baby soon."

"W-w-what? I...Are you sure?" James asked.

"Do I look like I'm not?" Lily asked, her face as red as a tomato.

"No, you don't. Okay...umm, don't panic. Remus please tell Mum, Dad, Sirius and Peter to come to St Mungo's quickly." James ordered, taking a plastic spoon and turning it into a portkey.

As they appeared in the lobby, James pushed her towards the reception.

"My wife's pregnant and her…the baby is going to come out soon." James told the witch.

"Take her the maternity ward," the witch instructed.

James conjured a stretcher and laid Lily down. He pushed the stretcher to the maternity ward where there was a healer waiting.

"Lord Potter! How are you?" Healer O'Neill asked as she lifted Lily and put her on the bed.

"Great. Thanks," James lied, "Uh...how does everything look? Is it ok?"

"Perfect. Just right in fact." Healer O'Neill replied.

After a few hours, Healer O'Neill told Lily she could start pushing. James sat on a chair next to her holding one hand with a pained expression on his face and when Lily started pushing he let out a yelp.

"What's wrong honey?" Lily asked in a falsely sweet voice.

"Umm...Lily, that hurt! You were squeezing my hand so much, I thought my bones were going to pop out!" James exclaimed.

"You think that's bad? I've got to get a bloody baby out of me and your complaining about your hand?" Lily asked.

Over the next few minutes, James was being insulted like nobody's business. Lily called him everything she could think of and she stopped only when the baby had slid out. James watched Healer O'Neill as she cleaned the baby.

"Congratulations Lord and Lady Potter, you have a son." Healer O'Neill announced, handing the baby to James.

James walked over to the hospital cot and handed the baby to Lily. "Wow! He's so...cute." James said.

"Cute? Yeah, maybe but what's his name?" Lily asked.

"Well, how about Harry James Potter? After my great-uncle and your Dad." James suggested.

"That sounds wonderful. Shall we call them in?" Lily asked. As if on cue, Peter, Sirius, Remus, Charles and Dorea walked in. All of their faces were almost identical and shone with delight.

"Awww! He's absolutely gorgeous and he already has Lily's eyes and James' rat's nest that people call hair!" Dorea squealed.

"Mum! I don't have a rat's nest for hair." James exclaimed as Sirius and Remus burst out laughing.

"Anyway, what have you named my grandson?" Charles asked,

"Well, his name is Harry James Potter. After Lily's Dad and my great uncle." James told them.

"Peter, are you ok? You haven't said anything and you haven't even been around since last week." Lily asked suspiciously.

"N-no I'm fine. Just worried about Mum." Peter replied, without making eye-contact.

"Well, I'll just visit her tomorrow and see what's wrong and see if I can help shall I?" Dorea volunteered.

"Yeah, that'd be great." Peter said.

"Can I hold him?" Sirius asked.

"Sure." Lily replied, giving Harry to Sirius who bounced him up and down before placing him into the waiting hands of Remus.

"You're so lucky!" Remus exclaimed as he cooed happily to Harry.

James grinned. He was the happiest of them all. He just hoped that Voldemort didn't ruin their lives.

31st October 1981...

Lily and James stood in the kitchen talking as they watched Harry play with his toy dog, Sirius had brought him.

"Siwius!" Harry exclaimed.

"Hey! Harry, how are you doing?" Sirius asked as he stepped out of the fireplace.

"Jeez. What is your problem? You could tell us that you're coming." James joked disapprovingly.

"I like surprising you lot." Sirius replied as he picked Harry up and tickled him continuously.

Lily and James grinned. Sirius was good with kids. Their thoughts were interrupted as Charles, Dorea and Remus Flooed in.

"Are you having some kind of party?" Charles asked.

"Nah. Sirius just likes to pop in from time to time." Lily explained, grinning as Harry squealed with delight as he saw all his favourite people in one room.

"Hey! You invite me sometimes!" Sirius protested.

"Mummy, Daddy, Siwius, Wemush, Gwanda, Gwanma and Hawwy." Harry said pointing to everyone in turn.

"He still can't pronounce his r's?" Sirius asked, making everyone laugh.

"Where's Peter? He's never around anymore and when he is he never speaks. What's up with him?" Remus asked.

"I think he's upset. I mean the McKinnons died just a short while ago. We're all upset." Lily stated, as she sat down on the couch.

"That's true. But enough of the sadness. Give my grandson to me Sirius." Dorea ordered.

That evening Charles decided to leave earlier to go to Potter Manor as he had to get ready for some speech he had to make at the Ministry Autumn Party. He kissed Lily on the cheek, clasped hands with the men and pulled Dorea out of the room into the hallway and kissed her tenderly.

"What was that for?" Dorea asked, as they pulled away.

"Nothing really, it's just that I love you so much." Charles whispered.

Dorea's eyes softened turning in to a warm hazel colour, "I love you too."

Dorea walked back into the living room and her eyes widened as she realised Harry was going to drop a blueberry pie on James' head. She opened her mouth to warn him as she realised it was too late. James looked like a complete idiot. His hair was dripping with cream and bits of blueberry were clinging to his shirt.

"Daddy look bwuu!" Harry exclaimed as he clapped his hands and laughed with glee.

"Oh honey, you've got your Daddy alright. You are a little trouble maker and its blue not bwuu!" Dorea corrected as Sirius, Remus and Lily laughed.

Using a quick cleaning charm, James shot an amused glance of annoyance at both his son and his wife, "That is not funny."

"Yeah and that's why we're all laughing right?" Sirius asked sarcastically.

The evening continued with many such treats; Harry poured his juice under Sirius' chair making it look as though Sirius had made an 'oopsy daisy' in Harry's word. Dorea grinned. Little Harry had definitely taken after his father and godfather.

After their guests had left, James and Lily were sitting down on their bed watching Harry as he played with his teddy.

"He's a naughty kid that one." James commented.

"Yeah, I wonder who he gets it from." Lily replied sarcastically.

"Hey, I'm not the only one in this family who can play a prank. You're pretty good at it too. Remember the shoelace prank?" James asked as he went red.

Lily grinned as she remembered the day her and a few of her other friends had tied all of their shoelaces together and put itching powder down James, Sirius, Remus and Peter's shirts at dinner. "I remember that all right. It was hilarious! You didn't know whether to itch or untie your shoelace."

James smiled and pulled Lily in closer for a hug. "Lily, we've got the most adorable child in the world." James said as Harry giggled and crawled up to his parents.

"I couldn't agree more." Lily agreed as she snuggled in closer to James' embrace.

A loud bang made them break apart rather abruptly and made Harry cry. Lily picked him up and hoisted him on to her hip. James gasped as he peered out the window. A hooded figure was walking towards the front door. Their gate had been smashed and was obviously the object that had caused the bang. "He's here." James whispered.

"What?" Lily asked tightening her embrace on Harry.

"Voldemort's here. Make a break for it whilst you can. I don't know how long I'll be able to hold him off." James said the determination and anger showing in his eyes.

"No! I'm coming with you!" Lily exclaimed.

"No! You and Harry have to go! I want you to be safe." James ordered, making his way towards the door.

"But--" Lily began, but it was too late. James had already left the room and was thundering down the stairs.

Downstairs.......

"How the hell did you find us?" James asked.

"I have my contacts." Voldemort replied, his eyes glowing in the darkness.

James growled as he dodged a curse. "Get out!" James exclaimed.

"Where's the boy?" Voldemort asked.

"None of your goddamn business! You're not going anywhere near my family." James replied.

"You should know. Some of my Death Eaters are making their way to Potter Manor. Too bad you parents aren't protected." Voldemort hissed.

James winced at the thought of the Death Eaters hurting his parents. He blocked another curse and out of desperation sent the Killing Curse at Voldemort. Voldemort blocked it easily and threw another curse back. As James ducked, and the spell flew over his head, Voldemort shot another curse, making James dash against the banister. James groaned and swore as he fell, unconscious.

Voldemort grinned as he made his way upstairs. He could hear her screaming, not knowing what's going on. The nursery door was shut and locked. Voldemort tutted, as though a mere lock would keep him at bay. As if a mere lock could stop him from killing a baby!

He blasted the door open. He smiled to himself as he saw the auburn lady put the baby in his cot and stand in front of it protectively, shielding Harry from any harm.

Lily shivered as she saw Voldemort grinning. She held her wand at the ready. She wasn't going to crumble without hurting Voldemort at least once. Lily grinned as she blocked a curse, she may be just a mere muggle-born to him, but he couldn't deny her magic wasn't bad.

Voldemort strode forwards towards Harry. He twirled his wand in his hand, wondering if he should have some fun with the child or just make it a clean murder. He raised his wand, leveling it with Harry's eyes, just so he could see the light leave Harry's eyes.

Harry had started to cry. He didn't like the stranger and felt even worse after he saw the wand pointed at him. Voldemort hissed as he said the words,"Avada Kedavra." Lily stepped in front of the curse, protecting her child. She fell, dashing her head against the corner of Harry's cot. He sneered. He closed his eyes for a second, missing the bluish-white light that flashed suddenly around Harry's crib. Voldemort pointed his wand at Harry and repeated the curse, but this time Voldemort was nothing. He slunk away into the unfriendly darkness. Harry looked around in despair.

"Mummy! Daddy!" Harry started screaming. Tears were pouring down his cheeks. After a while, Harry just started to scream for help, not understanding why no one was coming to help him.

He cried for ages, until he suddenly felt a pair of familiar arms pick him up. Albus Dumbledore was standing in the middle of the rubble. He looked around in despair and as he saw James and Lily on the floor, unconscious, he felt his eyes start to water. Harry stuck his thumb in his mouth, looking up at Dumbledore wondering what was going to happen next, and where his parents were. Just then, Hagrid appeared next to them.

"Is 'Arry alive?" Hagrid asked in awe.

"Yes, apparently he's survived the Killing Curse." Dumbledore replied, handing Harry to Hagrid. Harry, who still had tears pouring down his face, clung to Hagrid, his eyes still on Dumbledore. Glancing down at Lily, Dumbledore suddenly had a brilliant brainwave. "Hagrid can you meet me at this address?" Dumbledore asked, giving him a bit of parchment and disapparated.

Hagrid held Harry close as he looked at Lily, with tears in eyes. Her position was awkward and looked uncomfortable. He jumped when a he heard a sudden rumble and heaved a sigh of relief as he saw Sirius on his motorbike. Hagrid waited until he came upstairs.

"Hagrid, what happened?" Sirius asked, looking around at the sight of the ruined house. He saw Lily lying on the floor, next to the cot and swore. He reached forwards, trying to find her pulse, "No! No! This can't be happening! Lily come on! James has gone, Harry needs you!" Sirius screamed finally, after he found no pulse.

"You're too late Sirius. I'm so sorry." Hagrid told him, wiping his tears. Harry watched Sirius carefully and decided that it was safe to call him.

"Siwius." Harry called.

Sirius sighed, "Come on Hagrid, give Harry to me. I'm his godfather after all."

Hagrid shook his head with dismay. "I'm so sorry Sirius. Professor Dumbledore told me to take him to Lily's sister's house."

"Can I just say goodbye?" Sirius asked, wiping his tears away.

Hagrid handed Harry to Sirius. Sirius wiped Harry's tears away and hugged him tightly. "I'm so sorry Harry." he whispered. He gave Harry back to Hagrid, biting his bottom lip when Harry called his name.

"You can have my bike Hagrid. I won't be needing it for a while." Sirius said, turning on his heel and leaving Harry and Hagrid alone again.

Hagrid went downstairs with Harry. He gasped at the sight of James. His body was bent in a crooked way and his head was bleeding. Harry whimpered. They walked out of the house and left on Sirius' motorbike to go to Number Four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.

Four hours later....

Lily groaned as she got up off the floor. Her head hurt. She looked around the room frantically. Where was Harry? Where was James? Lily stumbled down the stairs. She saw James lying underneath the banister.

"James! Please don't be dead." Lily sobbed, kneeling down beside him and shaking him.

James stirred slightly, "I'm not. Where's Harry?" James asked as he struggled to get up.

"I don't know. I think he…I think he's dead James." Lilly whispered, silent tears pouring down her face.

"Let's go to Dumbledore. We need to know what's going on." James said as he got up and grabbed Lily's hand, pausing only for a moment. He pulled her towards him and kissed her tenderly. Then, they held hands and apparated together to Hogsmeade.

They walked towards Hogwarts, just as they had done when Dumbledore was going to tell them about the prophecy. Only this time they hoped they got good news. They entered the Hogwarts Castle and made their way up to Dumbledore's office. James whispered the password and they went in.

"JAMES, LILY! You're alive!" Dumbledore exclaimed.

"Yeah, _we _are, but Harry's dead isn't he?" Lily asked, fresh tears welling up in her eyes.

"No! He's alive, I sent him to Petunia's house because, I thought you were—"Dumbledore left the sentence unfinished.

"Thank the Lord! Do Mum and Dad think we've died too?" James asked, closing his eyes as he remembered what Voldemort had told him…"_some of my Death Eaters are making their way to Potter Manor. Too bad you parents aren't protected."_

"About your parents James…the Death Eaters cornered them last night and I am so sorry but Charles died." Dumbledore informed them, a single tear escaping from his eyes.

"What?" Lily gasped. She began to sob uncontrollably, clinging to James who was crying too,

"Who killed him? What about Mum?" James questioned, his desperation for information showing in his eyes.

"I don't know who killed him, but I am sure that in time, we will find out. Dorea is fine. She is in the hospital wing. She'll be so happy to see you." Dumbledore sighed.

"When do we get Harry back from Petunia?" Lily asked, wiping away her tears.

"It would be best if he stayed with her. The Death Eaters are going to go and look for Harry. They'll want revenge. He will be safer there. It will also give you a chance to recuperate." Dumbledore replied.

James nodded. "How did Harry survive?"

"He survived because Lily gave up his life for him. It shows love. I don't think Voldemort ever suspected the use of such old magic. The curse backfired and I think a part of Voldemort is dead." Dumbledore explained.

"But I'm not dead." Lily said, confused.

"Yes, but you meant to sacrifice your life for him. I don't entirely know how you survived but…you did." Dumbledore said.

"Thanks Professor. I think we'd better head downstairs to see Mum." James said as he waved goodbye to Dumbledore.

Downstairs, in the Hospital Wing…

"JAMES, LILY!" Dorea exclaimed.

James and Lily walked towards her and hugged her.

"I'm so sorry about Charles. Now Harry will never know how great his Grandpa was." Lily said.

"Harry's alive?" Dorea asked.

"Yeah Mum. We didn't lose him." James heaved a sigh of relief.

"What about Voldemort?" Dorea asked.

"I think the curse backfired." Lily explained.

Madam Pomfrey walked over at that moment.

"Dorea, you can go home now. I think you're feeling better." Madam Pomfrey said.

James nodded. "Let's go home."

Lily summoned a pencil from Madam Pomfrey's office and turned it into a portkey. They caught hold of it and they were in Potter Manor.

James smiled as he pulled his two favourite women in for a hug. They were finally home.


	4. Chapter 4: A Family Reunited

A/N: Although this chapter's kind of sad in the beginning it gets better towards the end. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: Nope.

18th June 1986...

Harry ran into his cupboard and latched the door as quickly as he could. He knew he was in trouble,he always was. Harry sat down on the bed and rummaged around in a box to find a cloth. He wiped the blood from his hands and the tears from his face. He shivered as he thought about how much trouble he would be in after he came out of his cupboard. He had somehow broken Aunt Petunia's best vase. It was the finest china and had been painted delicately in blue ink. It had cost a fortune. The worst part was, it wasn't his fault. Dudley and his friends had been playing cricket in the back yard, when suddenly the ball shot through the open window and hit the vase Harry was holding. But he was used to it. This happened every time. Harry was always guilty for any of the incidents that were caused by Dudley no matter how blatant it was that Dudley was the one at fault. Harry ignored the searing pain, closed his eyes and tried not to think about the amount of beatings he would be receiving in a short while.

Harry had lived with Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Dudley for as long as he could remember. They despised him and treated him as a slave. Uncle Vernon was the cruelest of the lot. He liked to hit and shout and often hit Harry so that he would 'toughen up.' Unfortunately, Dudley had also inherited his father's gift for abuse and hit Harry almost as often as Uncle Vernon. A few days ago, Harry had bee pruning the garden, when Dudley chucked a drumstick at him. It had hurt Harry on his head and had began to bleed. Uncle Vernon got very angry and began to beat him with a cricket bat because Harry had supposedly faked an injury and had tried to get Dudley into trouble. Harry had welts all over his arms and legs. Of course it wasn't just Uncle Vernon and Dudley who hit him. Uncle Vernon's sister Marge had also beaten Harry a few times. One day when she had come to stay, she made Ripper, her dog, chase Harry. Harry had climbed up a tree for safety, but even that had given him a punishment for trying to spoil the garden.

Everyone hated Harry, even at school he wasn't safe because of Dudley's gang. They didn't like him so no one liked him. No one had ever been there for him and sometimes he wished he could tell someone about the pain he was going through. Every time he walked past the park he'd see children, who were with their parents, so carefree and happy. No one called them freaks. They weren't accused of making their hair grow or turning other people's hair green.

Harry curled up in his bed trying to remember his dream. It had been about his parents but it had ended with a lot of green light. He had asked Aunt Petunia about it in the morning. She had told him it was from the car crash where his parents died. Aunt Petunia was the only one who sort of cared for Harry. She sometimes snuck him food when he was grounded and whenever Uncle Vernon and Dudley went out, she sometimes gave him a break from his work. But otherwise, they were all the same.

James and Lily stood outside Number Four, Privet Drive nervously. It had been five years since they had last seen their son. Lily closed her eyes as she thought about how much they had been through; Charles' death and funeral, almost dying themselves and losing two friends. Lily winced as she thought about Sirius and Peter. A few weeks after Halloween, Dumbledore had come to Potter Manor to tell them that Sirius had killed Peter and a dozen muggles and Sirius was the one who had betrayed them to Voldemort. Dumbledore had even showed them Peter's finger; that only thing that was left of him. Remus' transformations had also gotten much worse and were very painful. He had been fired from the Auror Department when the new head had found out he was a werewolf after Moody had retired. Alice and Frank had suffered too. The Cruciatus Curse. They were at St Mungo's now. Augusta Longbottom was taking care of their child, Neville.

James saw Lily's expression and frowned. He knew she was worried. He pulled her closer and gave her a tight hug. The door opened at that moment and Petunia Dursley stood in the doorway, her eyes wide and her lips pursed.

"Lily, James. Come in." Petunia said in a forced voice of happiness.

James nodded and stepped in, followed by Lily. The door closed with a soft thud. They entered the living room.

"If you're here for the boy, I have no idea where he is. He broke our finest china vase and ran off before he could face his punishment." Vernon sneered.

"What sort of punishment would it have been?" Lily asked in an icy tone.

"I don't know. A few beatings perhaps," Vernon chuckled.

James clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing, "Where is Harry?"

"He's probably in his cupboard the hallway." Petunia said.

"He hides there?" Lily asked surprised.

"No! He sleeps there." Vernon laughed.

James growled and left the room. Lily and James entered the hallway. Lily knocked softly

on the door. A soft whimper was heard and a voice shouted, "I'm coming out and I'm not a baby."

The door opened and Harry found himself in front of two strangers he felt he knew.

"W-who are you?" Harry stuttered.

"We're your parents honey. Your Mum and Dad." Lily said gently, reaching out to hold Harry's hand.

Harry moved backwards, "You can't be. They told me you were dead." Harry whispered.

James' eyes darkened. "Well, we are alive and we love you to bits. We've come to take you home."

Lily nodded and pulled Harry in for a hug. James got up and went to the living room, Vernon was still sitting on the couch. James walked towards him and pulled him up by his collar, ignoring Petunia's shriek, "If you EVER lie to or hurt my child again, if you ever harm him in any way, intentionally or unintentionally, I will kill you." James said and punched Vernon on his nose causing it to break. Than he returned to hallway, and led his family out of the house.

They walked to a deserted sports ground near by. James was carrying Harry in one hand and holding Lily's hand in his other hand, making an effort to restrain her from killing both her sister and her sister's husband at this moment. He sat down on a bench and sat Harry down next to him.

Harry felt like he was living in one of his dreams, but he wasn't it was real! He was with his Mum and Dad and they loved him and were taking him home.

"So honey, tell us about your aunt and uncle. Did they hurt you often?" Lily asked in a soft voice, already knowing the answer.

Harry nodded, "Uh-huh."

"Why?" James asked.

"They said I was a freak of nature and that I should be punished. They said that I was good for nothing and that I was always making trouble, but I never meant to. I didn't mean to turn my teacher's hair blue, I was just thinking about it and it happened. I never really meant it." Harry replied.

"They're wrong honey. You're not a freak of nature, you're a special boy who has inherited an extra-ordinary gift. Do you remember anything about how your life used to be before you went to live with the Dursleys?" Lily asked.

"I remember people who used to smell and look like you. I remember another lady, and man who looked a bit like Dad. I remember I always used to play with a dog and I remember a lot of green light that came from a car crash, where I got this scar." Harry said.

"Car crash? Did they tell you that we died in a car crash?" Lily asked, surprised.

"Yes." Harry replied.

"Harry, I wont to tell you something. It's quite long, sort of a story actually." James said.

"I haven't ever heard a story before. When will you tell me?" Harry asked, his eyes gleaming.

"Now," James replied, " A few years ago there were a group of people. These people were witches and wizards, but they were the good ones. Not the types of people you'd dress up as for Halloween. Now, these witches and wizards were happy and lived in harmony together, but at the same time, there was a war going on. There was a dark, evil wizard who was trying to take over the wizarding world and kill all the muggles."

"Muggles?" Harry asked.

"Non magic people." Lily replied.

"Well, while this was happening, people were still attending school. Now the dark wizard didn't try to destroy the school because the most talented wizard in the world was the Headmaster of the school at that time. His name was Albus Dumbledore. Now in his school there were a group of friends. They called themselves the Marauders. Their names were; James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. Now, James was in love with this beautiful girl called Lily, who happened to be in love with him too. They got married at the end of the school year. They all hated the evil wizard so they joined a group called The Order of the Phoenix. It was a group that Dumbledore had founded and was made to stop the evil wizard." James explained.

"What was his name?" Harry asked, his eyes shining with both curiosity and interest.

"Lord Voldemort. But that was the problem, no one would call him that because they were scared. It was like the name gave him instant power. Everyone called him You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Not everyone called him that but the majority of people did. James and Lily worked for the Ministry of Magic, in the Auror Department. An Auror is a dark wizard catcher. The dark wizards were the ones who used to follow Lord Voldemort, they called themselves the Death Eaters. Despite all of this, James, Lily and their friends were very happy because Lily was going to have a baby. But before Lily had the baby, Dumbledore called them into his office and told them about a prophecy. A prophecy is something like seeing the future, but it isn't certain, the future can change according to what you do. So, Dumbledore told James and Lily that a baby will be born to a couple who have defied Voldemort three times. This baby will be able to get rid of him. Dumbledore told James and Lily that a Death Eater, had overheard some of the prophecy and had told Voldemort. He also told them that Voldemort believed that the baby of James and Lily Potter was the one who would defeat him and that Voldemort wanted to kill the baby. James and Lily were scared do they went into hiding using a special sort of charm so that no one would know where they were. They had to have a secret keeper so James and Lily chose Sirius Black because he was their best friend. A secret keeper would be the only one who knew where James and Lily lived. No one would know unless the secret keeper told them. But then, at the very last minute. Sirius convinced James and Lily to change the secret keeper and to make it Peter because no one would suspect that it was him because he was too weak." James paused to see whether Harry was alright or not and smiled as he saw him cuddling into Lily. He'd always been a Mummy's boy.

"Lily, James and Harry-their baby were in hiding for a year. But then on Halloween, Voldemort came to the house. He fought with James but then James was knocked unconscious because he banged his head against the banister. Voldemort went upstairs and he found the door of the nursery locked. He blasted it apart. He shot many killing curses at Lily but she was a very strong witch so she fought back. Then he sent a killing curse at Harry but Lily dived in front of the crib protecting him, showing that love conquers all. The spell backfired and then Voldemort broke. He was nothing, he fled. Lily was unconscious too. Harry was crying but there was something on his face, a lightning bolt shaped scar." James finished.

"Me?" Harry breathed.

"Yes Harry you. You didn't know. When Dumbledore arrived at our house, he thought we were dead and that it would be safe for you to stay in the Muggle world so that the Death Eaters couldn't harm you. He had realised that it was your mother's love that had kept you alive, so he sent you to your mother's only living relative, my sister; Petunia. When your Dad and I woke up we were very worried so we went to Dumbledore and he told us what had happened. He also told us that Charles, your grandfather died, that he was killed by the Death Eaters." Lily replied.

"Oh." Harry said, "So did Sirius betray you?"

"Yes." James answered.

"Is Voldemort dead?" Harry asked.

"No. He's still out there. There wasn't enough human left in him to die." Lily answered.

"Will anyone kill him soon?" Harry enquired.

Lily and James exchanged worried glances. "Perhaps, someday in the future." James replied.

"Now, how about we head down to some shops to get you some new gear?" Lily asked.

"Cool." Harry exclaimed, smiling for the first time. But then his smile faltered. "Am I a muggle?" he asked.

Lily laughed, "No! Of course not. And seeing as you turned your teachers hair blue, I don't think think you're going to be a Muggle anytime soon."

"I have one more question." Harry said.

"Hmm?" James asked.

"Where am I going to live now?" Harry asked.

"With us. Is that okay?" Lily asked.

"Yeah!" Harry shouted.

Harry leaped, bounded and skipped as he followed Lily and James to Mrs Figg's house. He felt a little puzzled because he had always known her as the 'batty old cat lady' to whom the Dursleys used to send him to when they went out. They had Flooed into a strange pub called the Leaky Cauldron and walked out into the streets of Muggle London.

Harry followed Lily and James into a shop where they bought him all types of clothes. Jeans, shirts, coats, hoodies, sweaters, ties, shoes, all types of trousers, tracksuits, socks, underwear, pajamas and a bathing suit. Then they went back into the Leaky Cauldron, to the back room and Lily tapped her wand on the bricks making a path into the wizard high street. It was called Diagon Alley. They wandered into a robe shop and got Harry a robe. James and Lily also bought Harry toys, and Harry's favourite a child-size broomstick. They also went into a bookstore and got Harry books on magic.

Then they returned to an extravagant building. Little did Harry know that this was his house. They entered through large oak doors, into a marble-floored room.

"Welcome home Harry." Lily exclaimed.

Harry's eyes widened. Home. That was a new word, a word he knew but could never use at the Dursleys, but here he was in a house that was the most beautiful house he had ever seen. Harry was so caught up in the house that he jumped when he heard a loud shriek...

"HARRY!" Dorea squealed. She came downstairs and rushed towards him, pulling him in for a nice warm hug.

"Grandma?" Harry said uncertainly.

"That's right and the last time I heard you say that was when you couldn't pronounce you 'r's properly." Dorea smiled.

Harry blushed and just then two other people walked into the room, well at least Harry thought they were people.

"Harry, this is Dotty and Daisy. They're house elves. They take care of the cooking and cleaning in this house." Lily said.

"It's an honour to meet you Master Harry." the elves said together.

Harry was overwhelmed, but, "If you don't mind, I don't like being called a master. Do you mind if you call me Harry?"

"No sir. It won't be a problem." Daisy replied.

"He doesn't have James' ego then." Lily commented. Dorea laughed.

"Oy!" James shouted. Harry giggled.

Daisy and Dotty took Harry's purchases upstairs and began to put them in the cupboard in his room. They couldn't stop smiling, even they felt as though their family was complete. Lily and James decided to show Harry around the house. They showed him the study first, there were four comfy chairs around a large oak table. There was a huge fireplace in this room, that gave the room more finesse. They entered the library and Harry gasped as he saw as he saw the bookshelves that towered over him like skyscrapers. Lily saw his expression and laughed, "Dorea and I are normally the only ones who read here. James only reads the newspaper. Your great-great grandfather's wife Celeste, wanted her own personal library, so your great-great grandfather built a library in every one of the homes the Potters owned back then."

Harry was in shock, "We have more houses?"

"Yeah, and they're all over the world. We'll go there sometime." James said and walked out of the library beckoning his wife and child to follow him.

They went into the living room next and Harry grinned as he saw a plasma screen television, a pool table, a chess table, a stereo, a DVD player and a table made for wizard games such as Wizards Chess or Exploding Snap or Gobstones. There were comfy sofas and armchairs as well as a fireplace, that was slightly bigger then the one in the study. Lily showed him everything as they walked by. They entered a corridor full of portraits, they walked to the nearest one, underneath it, the painting had a label saying 'Charles Edward Potter III.'

"Good Afternoon! You must be my grandson. Ah you are a strapping young chap now aren't you lad?" Charles boomed.

Harry jumped. A talking painting was the least he'd expected.

"Charles. He's just come from a place where the people treated him like a slave and told him that he was a freak of nature. He's only just found out he's a wizard. Give him a bit of time before you decide to shock him." Lily said disapprovingly. Charles looked back sheepishly.

"This is the Hall of Portraits. It's sort of a tradition. We have our painting done and then we put a spell on it that changes our appearance as we grow. Then when we die it makes our faces exactly the way it was." James explained.

"What if you die in pain?" Harry asked.

Charles chuckled. "No, not in that way. We look as old as we had when we died."

"Oh." Harry replied, embarrassed.

"Come on then. Lets go." Lily said, waving good-bye to Charles.

They led him into the kitchen. The floor was made up of small stone tiles and the walls were a creamish colour, making it look as elegant as the living room. It was very neatly kept no doubt by the house-elves. James also showed Harry the house-elves' quarters. Daisy and Dotty had their own bathroom and bedroom. They also had a living room and three spare bedrooms and bathrooms. They also had their own garden.

"Charles II made sure that the elves had a comfortable lifestyle. Daisy and Dotty have been in our family for generations." James said.

Harry smiled, he was still overwhelmed, he just hoped that this wasn't a dream. Lily and James showed Harry the pool-both indoor and outdoor, the gardens, the pond, the spa and jacuzzi and the Quidditch pitch. Harry learned that Potter Manor had four floors. They were separated into three parts. One part was used as storage unless they had guests to accommodate. It was known as the East Wing. It had forty bedrooms. Most of them had their own separate bathrooms. It also had a few living rooms and a library, although it was smaller than the one in the main part of the house. The main part of the house had the common living room, the dining room, the banqueting hall, the studies and the main libraries. The West Wing had was exactly like the East Wing but it was the one the Potters used. James and Lily took Harry upstairs and showed him the master bedroom, where Dorea slept. James and Lily's bedroom was three doors down. They entered the room next door. There was a Queen-sized bed, a huge cupboard, a dresser, a study table and a bookshelf. There was also a private bathroom. The walls were a light blue colour and the bedspread matched with it exactly. Dotty and Daisy were putting his toys and clothes in his cupboard. This should have been a clue as to whose room this was but the thought didn't enter Harry's head until Lily asked him, " So, do you like your room?"

"My room?" Harry asked, bewildered.

"Yeah. If you don't like it we can always change it. It won't take that long." James added.

"No. It's nice. Thank you." Harry replied, smiling.

They went downstairs again and Daisy served a meal of fish and chips. Dorea frowned. She thought that Daisy would have made something heavier and more elegant to celebrate Harry coming back home. Harry didn't seem to mind though, he wolfed down his dinner, something James, Lily and Dorea weren't surprised to see, knowing that in the condition he was living in he probably didn't get anything to eat. After he had finished, Harry got up and took his plate to the sink. He was about to wash it when he heard someone clearing their throat. Harry turned around.

"You is not needing to wash your plate, sir. That is what Daisy and Dotty is here for." Dotty said to Harry taking the plate out of Harry's hand.

Harry blinked, he wasn't used to this. Lily and James both knew that it would take him some time to get used to being served instead of serving.

"Alright, well lets give you a bath." Lily nodded at Daisy to get his bath ready.

Harry headed to the bathroom and began to undress just as James had come in. James' eyes widened as he saw the welts, cuts and bruises. He gave Harry a bath, watching him play with the plastic duck and boat. After Harry had finished his bath, James asked Lily and Dorea to come upstairs with some liniment. After they did James showed them the bruises on Harry's back. Lily's eyes darkened and Dorea looked shocked. Using some of his magic James healed most of the cuts on Harry's back whilst Lily and Dorea talked and played with him. Harry stepped into his pyjamas and was kissed and hugged by his parents and grandma before they tucked him into bed.

Harry smiled as he slept, it was the first time he'd ever done that and now he could bet it wouldn't be his last.

A/N: I hope you liked it! Leave me a review to tell me what you thought

Have a great week!

Ishani


	5. Chapter 5: Childhood

**A/N: Yay! I completed Chapter 5...(finally!), I had a horrible week full of essays, dance performances and Maths *shudders*. Thanks to everyone who put me on story alert or added my story to their favorites or reviewed my story...: Panther73110, Sweetkitty, Iceman29, Keeperoliver, BARON2462, Blackcat19, Toranika and ladybugbear2. This chapter is dedicated to you :)**

**Please review! Hope you like it. =)**

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JKR :)**

When Harry awoke the next morning in a large room, he thought he was still dreaming. He blinked a few times and he finally remembered being 'rescued' by his father and mother. He now lived in a mansion, with his family who loved him. Climbing of of bed, he tiptoed outside and into the passage. His dad and his mum were still sleeping. Harry wondered if he was allowed to go into their room and wake them up. He wasn't allowed at the Dursleys' house but everything seemed to be so different here. Harry shrugged and began to walk down the stairs, biting his bottom lip when it made a loud creaking noise. He turned around when he heard someone closing the door. He saw Lily smiling at him, "Hey honey. What are you doing up so early?"

"I always wake up at this time." Harry said shrugging.

"Well, do you want to go downstairs and ask Daisy for breakfast? You can go and wait with Grandma if you want." Lily suggested.

Harry nodded and went downstairs. He smiled as his Grandma called him into the living room.

"Good morning Grandma." Harry said, sitting down next to her.

"Hello sweetie. How about some breakfast?" Dorea asked, as she led him into the kitchen. Dotty smiled as he put a plate of waffles in front of Harry.

"Harry would you is liking any juice?" Daisy asked. Harry nodded and thanked her as she handed him a glass of apple juice.

After breakfast, Harry went upstairs to have his bath and get cleaned up. When he came downstairs he saw a man talking to Lily. He looked oddly familiar, he was tall, with light brown hair and goldish-brown eyes.

"Harry, I'd like you to meet your honorary uncle. You can call him Uncle Moony or Uncle Remus." Lily introduced.

Remus knelt down in front of Harry so that he was eye level and tugged him in for a hug. "Welcome home Harry."

Harry nodded, but Remus didn't miss the hesitation, so he led Harry into the living room and started to talk to him about his life and explain that he wasn't an outsider. Remus told him about his 'furry little problem' and Harry finally understood that he isn't alone.

Lily smiled as James and Dorea came out of the kitchen and into the hallway.

"How long do you think it'll be before he's married?" Dorea asked. Remus was as much of a son to her as James.

"Believe me, it's going to take someone very stubborn to convince him to get married." James answered.

"He still thinks that his furry little problem is too dangerous. He says that he doesn't want to harm anybody by marrying them because he might hurt them." Lily explained.

"That's stupid." Dorea commented.

James and Lily nodded in agreement and the three of them smiled as they heard giggling. Remus smiled as he led Harry back into the hallway.

"So Harry, do you want to learn how to play Quidditch?" James asked enthusiastically.

"Quidditch?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, come on. It'll be great. Coming Remus, Lily?" James asked.

"No thank you. I'm going to have a nice cup of tea and enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts," Lily said, as Remus nodded.

************

Later on that evening, after Harry had gone to bed, James, Lily, Dorea and Remus sat down to talk.

"So what do you think about Harry, Dorea?" Lily asked.

"He's wonderful, James. Everything a child should be but he's just so hesitant about everything," Dorea replied.

Remus nodded in agreement. "He's very bright and he's clever, but he's been through so much and it might take him some time to get used to living this way."

"They were horrible to him, Remus. When James called Dorea and me up with a bit of salve, I thought it was a minor bruise...but it was disgusting. I mean it's child abuse," Lily said, blinking back tears.

"Well, it's over! He isn't going back there and you can be as sure as hell that they're never coming here!" James exclaimed.

Dorea smiled at her son's determination but decided it was time to change the subject , "So Remus, how did the research on lycanthropy go?"

"It went well Dorea, but I haven't found a cure yet." Remus sighed.

"Don't worry. If you continue the research, I'm sure you'll find a cure soon." Lily said, confidently.

Remus nodded solemnly, "I hope so."

"What time is it?" Lily asked.

"It's ten thirty." Dorea replied.

"Well then we're heading to bed." Lily said as James nodded simultaneously.

"Goodnight Remus, Mum," James said.

"Good Night sweetheart." Dorea replied as she made her way upstairs.

Remus nodded as he followed.

***********

Over the next few months, Harry got more used to his new life. But three was always one question that remained in his mind that he was to afraid to ask , thinking he might upset his parents. James and Lily were worried about him because he still hadn't settled properly. Harry was still hesitant, and always thought thrice before doing anything. Not that this was wrong, of course but Harry was still hesitant about asking for more food and water, to go out to play or anything like that. It wasn't until the day that Harry finally asked them the question, that his parents realised Harry was finally adjusting.

"Mum, I have a question for you and Dad," Harry said shyly.

"Well go on Harry." James said, eager to know what had been on his son's mind.

"Why did you leave me at the Dursleys for so long?" Harry asked, biting he bottom lip.

James closed his eyes and sighed before he answered, "Do you remember that story I told you when we got you back from the Dursleys?"

"The one about Voldemort?" Harry asked, his eyes wide.

"Yes. After Lily and I regained consciousness, we went to Dumbledore. He's the Headmaster of Hogwarts and the leader of the Order of the Phoenix. He said that the Death Eater, Voldemort's followers, although most of them had gone to Azkaban, some of them were still out there somewhere. They were dangerous Harry. Almost as bad as Voldemort himself. Dumbledore said that they might come after you, to try to kill you. He decide you were safest with muggles, but they had to be blood related. So we decided to keep you there until it was safe." James explained.

"But why me?" Harry asked.

Lily exchanged a worried glance with James before she said, " He thought that our family would be a threat to his power,"

"Oh. Ok. Thanks Mum and Dad." Harry smiled.

"Anytime son. So what do you want to do now?" James asked.

"Play Quidditch!" Harry exclaimed.

"C'mon then. We'll play one on one." James said.

"Cool!" Harry exclaimed.

**********

_Christmas......_

Harry woke up on Christmas morning and went downstairs expecting no presents. What he didn't expect was his family calling him into the living room and him seeing dozens of presents marked with his name.

"So, do you like them?" Lily asked.

"These are mine?" Harry asked, surprised.

"Yeah, who else would they be for?" James said.

Harry smiled and walked towards the presents.

"Open this one first please," Lily begged, pointing to a large box wrapped in gold.

Harry nodded as he began to tear the wrapping paper. He opened the huge box and out came a puppy!

"Wow! He's for me?" Harry asked.

"What are you going to name him?" James asked, as he pointed to the small black Labrador.

"Biscuits!" Harry exclaimed.

"Biscuits?" Dorea asked laughing.

"Yeah. I like biscuits, everybody likes biscuits and everybody will like him." Harry explained.

"That they do! So Biscuits it is." Lily agreed.

Biscuits seemed to accept the name as he bounding forwards and licked Harry's face.

Harry smiled and proceeded to unwrap more presents. The one he was particularly interested in was the book that said 'Magic for young ones'.

"What's this?" Harry asked.

"Don't worry! You're going to have lessons soon on magic. Wandless of course but you'll be taught a lot. You'll also be learning Gaelic and Latin. You'll also be taught other Muggle subjects." Lily explained.

Harry's mind was about to explode. He was going to learn magic, "Wow! When do I start?"

"Whenever you want to." Lily said, smiling at her son's eagerness.

"Tomorrow!" Harry exclaimed.

Dorea smiled as she saw her grandson bouncing up and down eagerly before saying, " Come on, it's time for lunch."

They sat themselves down around the table that was covered in a red and gold table-cloth. Daisy and Dotty took the lids of the dishes they had prepared. For starters they had a winter vegetable soup, for their main course they had an Escalope of East Lothian turkey with pork and apple stuffing. Finally for dessert, Daisy had made a spiced pear and apple pie served with custard. Harry grinned, he'd never eaten a proper Christmas Lunch before. The Dursleys had always given him a sandwich and a glass of apple juice.

"Merry Christmas everyone!" James exclaimed, as he rubbed his full stomach.

"Merry Christmas indeed," Lily replied, amused. After lunch, everyone went to the living room to watch The Wizard of Oz. Harry grinned when Lily and Dorea started to sing:

_Follow the yellow brick road, tra la!  
Follow the yellow brick road, tra la!_

Follow! Follow!  
Follow! Follow!  
Follow the yellow brick road  
Follow the yellow brick road  
Follow the yellow brick, follow the yellow brick  
Follow the yellow brick road!

If ever a wonderful Wiz there was  
The Wizard of Oz is one because  
Because because because because  
Because of the wonderful things he does!

Oh, you're off to see the Wizard,  
The wonderful Wizard of Oz!  
You'll find he is a whiz of a Wiz  
If ever a Wiz there was.

If ever a wonderful Wiz there was  
The Wizard of Oz is one because  
Because because because because because.....  
Because of the wonderful things he does  
....(whistled) because of the wonderful things he does

You're off to see the Wizard  
The wonderful Wizard of Oz!  
You're off to see, you're off to see  
The wonderful Wizard of Oz!

Oh, we're off to see the Wizard  
The wonderful Wizard of Oz  
We'll find he is a whiz of a Wiz  
If ever a Wiz there was.

If ever a wonderful Wiz there was  
The Wizard of Oz is one because  
Because because because because because  
Because of the wonderful things he does  
....(whistled) because of the wonderful things he does!

We're off to see the Wizard  
The wonderful Wizard of Oz  
We're off to see, We're off to see  
The wonderful Wizard of Oz!

Harry grinned. He loved his family and he knew they loved him. His thought went back to what James had said before 'Merry Christmas Everyone' and what a Merry Christmas it was.

That night, there was a huge Christmas Party at their house. His parents had invited lots of people over. The guest list included Rubeus Hagrid, a giant in Harry's opinion but who also happened to be the gentlest person ever; Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts; Minerva McGonagall, the Deputy Head of Hogwarts; Neville Longbottom with his grandmother Augusta Longbottom and various people, most of whom were in awe to meet him. Not that Harry cared or knew why of course.

He got lots of presents from his guests. Various toys and a few books. This was one of Harry's most favourite days ever, he decided after he had gotten into bed. Then he smiled as he drifted off into his dream.

**Hi again. Ok...so that chapter definitely wasn't one of my best ones. In fact it was probably the worst I'm ever going to write. I'm sorry about that and the fact that the chapter took me so long to write. Please let me know if you think I should continue writing bout Harry's childhood or just skip to his first year(going to Hogwarts-which is what I am thinking of doing). Btw...I know this isn't a Twilight fanfic but if anyone who's reading this likes Twilight, you have to see New Moon. Please Review, I want to see what you thought of it.........**

**CM x**


	6. Chapter 6: All Aboard

**(A/N:)Hi! I hope you enjoy this chapter...I'm sorry I took ages again but my teachers are driving me up the wall and I have stupid tests which I have to revise for unfortunately. Anyway...a special thanks to Ramya, Suraj and their 'gang' who have helped me and put up with my madness and to telephonegal who said my story was one of the best ones she'd ever read...this chapter is dedicated to you :). Btw...there's a new poll up on my profile...check it out if you have time...**

**If you've got like 3 messages that the story's been updated I'm sorry it was just me correcting and re-correcting chapters......I'm sorry :P**

**I'll stop rambling now and let you read.**

**Enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the great JKR**

Chapter 6: All Aboard!

_31st July 1991....._

Harry dashed down the stairs.

"Is it here?" Harry shouted as he ran into the living room, just in time to see a large tawny owl sweep in and land gracefully on the coffee table. She dropped the letter and flew out, pausing briefly to drink out of the water bowl Dotty had left for her.

James nodded as he handed the envelope to Harry, 'Happy Birthday kiddo!"

The envelope was yellowish and had been addressed in green ink. The wax seal had been stamped on with what Harry assumed was the badge of Hogwarts. A badger, a raven, a snake and a lion. There was also words written on a ribbon: _Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus. _

"What does that mean?" Harry asked.

"Don't you remember your Latin lessons?" Lily asked as she walked into the room and gave Harry a hug.

Harry cast his mind back to his lessons that his family had insisted on giving. He'd had Muggle lessons as well as magical lessons that had consisted mainly of wandless magic, "Never tickle a sleeping dragon," Harry said.

"That's right," Dorea replied as she and Remus walked into the room.

Harry opened the letter and read aloud:

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY**

****

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours Sincerely,

**Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress**

He put the paper on the table and began to read the second sheet:

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY**

**Uniform****  
First year students require:  
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)  
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear  
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)  
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry nametags.**

**Set Books****  
All students should have a copy of each of the following:  
**_**The Standard Book of Spells Grade One **_**by Miranda Goshawk  
**_**A History of Magic **_**by Bathilda Bagshot  
**_**Magical Theory **_**by Adalbert Waffling  
**_**A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration **_**by Emeric Switch  
**_**One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi **_**by Phyllida Spore  
**_**Magical Drafts and Potions **_**by Arsenius Jigger  
**_**Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them **_**by Newt Scamander  
**_**The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection **_**by Quentin Trimble**

**Other Equipment****  
1 wand  
1 cauldron (pewter standard, size 2)  
1 set glass or crystal phials  
1 telescope  
1 set brass scales**

****

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

**PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEAR STUDENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS**

Harry sent an acceptance letter with their family owl, Aileen.

"Well why don't we go to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies?" Lily asked.

Harry grinned, "Brilliant!"

1st September 1991.......

Harry walked through the barrier with his Dad, Mum, Grandma and his Uncle Remus. They stepped onto Platform Nine and ¾ and Harry grinned as the Hogwarts Express arrived onto the platform. He turned to his family and smiled.

"So are you ready to begin your magical education?" Remus asked.

"Hell yeah! I mean, yes!" Harry exclaimed.

"That's right Harry, mind your language." Lily said.

Harry hugged his family and raised his eyebrows when James and Remus pulled him away from his Mum and Grandma.

"Listen Harry, do you remember the stories we told you about the Marauders?" James asked.

"Yeah," Harry replied, unsure of where his Dad was going with this.

"Well there was this map, if you remember, the one that got confiscated? Well if you find it, keep it." James instructed.

"Right-o!" Harry exclaimed.

They rushed back to Lily and Dorea and Harry gave everyone one last hug before dragging his trunk and taking his owl cage, containing his new owl Hedwig, to the nearest train door. He stepped up into the carriage and heaved the trunk up as well. He gave up after two minutes, panting as he leaned against the door, when two identical twin boys with red hair and a ton of freckles appeared out of no where.

"Need a hand?" One of them asked.

"Yes please," Harry gasped.

A few minutes later, the trunk was safely stored in the corner of the compartment.

"Thanks," Harry replied.

"What's that?" One of the twins asked as they caught sight of the scar.

"Blimey," the other twin began, "Are you--?"

"He is aren't you?"

"What?" Harry asked, knowing what was going to happen. He'd been warned after all.

"Harry Potter?" The twins chorused, grinning.

"Oh, right. Yeah, I'm Harry Potter."

The twins gaped at him for a second, looking slightly annoyed when they heard someone call 'Fred, George. Come here!' and they disappeared. Harry sighed and took out the communication mirror his Dad had given him.

"James Potter," Harry whispered and grinned as the mirror frosted over and James' face appeared.

"Hey kiddo! Are you famous already?" James asked.

"Yeah. They were twins. The looked so amazed to see me." Harry sighed.

"I'm sorry bud, but there's nothing I can do about that. You'll just have to get used to it," James said.

"'Kay. Well, bye Dad. I'll owl you at the end of the week, so I can keep you updated." Harry replied.

"Right, but don't get in too much trouble." James warned.

"Don't worry Dad, I'll just follow your example." Harry grinned.

"Yeah, well. Alright. I'm not the best role model behaviour-wise. You'd better go now Harry. Bye. I love you." James blushed.

"Bye Dad," Harry replied, and James vanished.

Harry tucked the mirror in his pocket and went into the carriage. He sat down on one of the seats and closed his eyes. A few minutes later, the door slid open and another red-headed boy walked in.

"Can I sit here? Everywhere else is full." He asked.

Harry nodded and the boy sat down. Harry was just about to say something when the compartment door slid open and the twins were there.

"Hey Ron, listen we're going down to the middle of the train, Lee Jordan has a giant tarantula down there!"

"Right," Ron mumbled.

"Harry," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later then,"

"Bye," Harry and Ron both replied as the twins left.

Ron looked at Harry for a moment before he spoke. "So, you're really Harry Potter then?"

"Yup."

"Oh," Ron replied, as if he was slightly taken aback. "I thought it was one of Fred and George's jokes. Have you really got… you know?"

"What?" Harry asked. He was already getting tired of the unwanted attention. When Ron only pointed to Harry's forehead, Harry pushed his hair out his eyes to show the scar.

"Is that where You-Know-Who-?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, but I don't remember anything."

"Nothing?" Ron asked eagerly.

"No, well, I remember a lot of green light, but that's it."

"Wow." Ron replied, before he turned his attention outside for a moment. When he looked back at Harry, he quickly changed the subject. "So, your parents are Aurors right?"

Harry nodded; glad that the subject had changed. "Yeah,"

"That's cool. An Auror is one of the greatest jobs in the world, I think." Ron said. "I've only met one Auror, his name was Mad-Eye-Moody, but I've always found him creepy. My Dad thinks very highly of him though. Says half the cells in Azkaban are full 'coz of him,"

Harry laughed. "Yeah I guess. I only met him once. He's been retired for a long time though. So, do you know loads of magic already, you know, with having two older brothers?"

Ron shook his head. "No, only what they teach you at home. And I don't have two older brothers, I have five. I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say that I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left– Bill was Head Boy and Charlie was Quidditch captain. Now Percy's a Prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks, and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat." He pulled the rat out of his pocket. "This is Scabbers, he's useless."

"I'm sure he's alright. This is Hedwig by the way," Harry said, pointing to his owl, "I have to write home every week. Otherwise my parents will start to worry."

They talked about literally anything and everything. Harry learned all about Ron's family and he told Ron all about his family and his dog Biscuits, blushing when Ron laughed at the name. They spent some time swapping Chocolate Frog cards and daring each other to try the most hideous looking sweets from Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans.

Soon afterwards, the compartment door slid open and a slightly chubby boy with a tearful face stood at the door. Harry recognized him instantly although he hadn't seen him in ages, "Hi Neville!"

"Hi Harry. You haven't seen a toad have you?" he asked.

"No. Sorry," Ron replied.

"Ah well, I guess I'll see you around. Bye," Neville said as he left.

Ron turned to Harry, "How do you know him?"

"Well, he's kind of a family friend. I haven't seen him in ages though. He's a great guy, kind of forgetful though. I wonder how he lost his toad?" Harry asked.

"I wish I could lose Scabbers," Ron said, pointing to Scabbers who was currently in an empty box of Bertie Botts' , with his tail hanging out, "Fred taught me a spell to turn him yellow. Want to see?"

Harry nodded eagerly, although he'd learned wandless magic, he wanted to see real magic.

Ron cleared his throat and raised his wand when the compartment door again. There was a girl with bushy, brownish hair and rather large front teeth. When she spoke she sounded bossy.

"Have either of you seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one,"

Harry shook his head, "No sorry."

But the girl wasn't listening. She was eying the raised wand that Ron was holding, "Oh are you going to do magic? Lets see then,"

Ron cleared his throat pointed his wand at Scabbers and said, "Sunshine daisies, butter mellow. Turn this stupid fat rat yellow!"

Nothing happened.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" the girl asked, "well it's not very good is it? I've only tried a few simple ones myself, but they've all worked for me. Nobody in my family is magic at all, it was such a surprise when I got the letter, but I was ever-so pleased of course, I mean it's the very best school of witchcraft and wizardry there is-I've heard. I've learnt all our set books off by heart, I just hope it'll be enough. I'm Hermione Granger by the way-and you are?

She had said all of this very fast and Harry was relieved to see the stricken look on Ron's face which told him that he hadn't learnt all of the set books off by heart either.

"Ron Weasley,"

"Harry Potter,"

"Are you really? I know all about you of course. I got a few books for background reading. You're in _Modern Magical History, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_, and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century_." Hermione asked in awe.

"Oh," Harry said as he was unsure of how to react to unwanted attention.

Hermione began to talk about Hogwarts and the houses and Neville. She was about to leave when she added, "You two had better change into your robes, we'll be there soon."

A little bit later the compartment door slid open again and a pale boy with silvery blond hair stood at the door. His accomplices were two huge boys who reminded Harry of bodyguards.

"So is it true?" the pale boy asked, "Everyone's saying that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So is it you?"

Harry nodded again, "Yeah,"

"This is Crabbe and Goyle," the boy said, gesturing the boys who stood on either side of him, "And I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Ron sniggered and Malfoy turned to glare at him. "Think my name's funny do you? No need to ask who you are. Red hair, freckles and a hand-me-down robe; you must be a Weasley."

Ron turned red.

"You'll soon find, Potter, that some families are better than others. You don't want to make friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there," Malfoy said, holding out his hand.

Harry glanced down at Malfoy's hand, "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself thanks,"

A bit of colour reached Malfoy's cheeks.

"I'd be a bit more careful if I were you Potter. Or you'll end up meeting the same sticky end as you grandfather. Especially if you hang about with riff-raff like the Weasleys."

"Say that again," Ron threatened.

"What, are you going to fight us?" Malfoy sneered.

Before either Ron or Harry could respond, Scabbers bit Crabbe's finger. Crabbe howled and shook his hand violently. Scabbers squealed as he flew across the compartment and landed with a thud on the floor.

Malfoy turned on his heel and left, Crabbe and Goyle following.

Harry sighed, that was definitely interesting.

They arrived at the station half and hour later. Harry got down with Ron, grinning as he heard the familiar voice of Rubeus Hagrid. Although he was nearly eight feet tall, with black beetle eyes and a shaggy mane of hair, he was a softie-however fierce he looked.

Harry followed the rest of the first-years to the lake, where the boats were. As they made their way towards the castle, Harry and his fellow students got a glimpse of the castle.

Hogwarts was huge, black walls with massive windows. Many turrets and towers that seemed to touch the sky. Harry remembered seeing the castle when he had visited Hogsmeade but it had seemed much smaller. They reached the entrance of Hogwarts and now many of the students' mouths were open as they gaped at the size of the castle. The doors opened and Harry grinned as his fellow first-years simultaneously oohed. There stood a severe looking woman, with glasses. Her hair was done up in a tight bun, her black witches hat perched on top of her head in a slanted fashion. She introduced herself as Professor Minerva McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor and the Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts. After explaining about the sorting, Professor McGonagall led them into the Great Hall.

They stood in a line at the front of the Hall facing the Teacher's table. But in front of the Teacher's table was a hat sitting on a stool. The first-years stood there rather nervous as the watched the hat's brim open wide and start to sing;

_Oh you may not think me pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.  
You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat,  
And I can cap them all.  
There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
If you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;  
__Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folks use any means  
To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have n__one)  
__For I'm a Thinking Cap!_

Then McGonagall started to call out names to be sorted. Harry was sorted into Gryffindor, much to his delight(although the hat seemed to want to put him into Slytherin). He listened in to Dumbledore's announcements and then began to enjoy the feast.

When the feast was over, Dumbledore asked the school to join in with the school song. The words appeared in the air and everyone began to sing(the Weasley twins in a funeral march tune):

_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,  
Teach us something, please,  
Whether we be old or bald  
Or young with scabby knees,  
Our heads could do with filling  
With some interesting stuff,  
For now they're bare and full of air,  
Dead flies and bits of fluff,  
So teach us things worth knowing,  
Bring back what we've forgot,  
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,  
And learn until our brains all rot!_

After the song was over, Dumbledore send them all straight to bed. Harry grinned as he snuggled into his blankets. Hogwarts was going to be an adventure.

**(A/N:) Hi(again). I hope you enjoyed that chapter. I'm sorry if I disappointed you but it's the best I could have done-believe me. I have a little surprise in store for you in the next chapter and only I know what it is muahahaha :P. Anyway...the little green button is over there....press it type away...go on you know you want to....**

**Love **

**CM x**


	7. Chapter 7: First Year

**A/N: Hello all! That's right I got chapter 7 up too, all thanks to the Christmas holidays Don't you think the teachers should give me holidays more often? Anyway, I tried to get all of Harry's first year in a chapter and I managed- I'm not sure if it's very good. Anyway I hope you like the two little surprises. R&R please.**

**Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me....apart from the two little surprises :P**

Chapter 7: First Year

_Dear Dad, Mum, Uncle Remus and Grandma._

_Sorry I haven't written yet. It's just that it's been a horribly busy week. Well, I'll start from the beginning. The train ride was fun. I met Ron Weasley after the twins and they happen to be related. They're really cool and come from an old wizarding family, but they aren't stuck-up. Ron has five brothers and one sister, I think that's pretty cool. I saw Neville again-he'd lost his toad. Then this girl called Hermione came in. She's a bossy know-it-all. I met one boy I can't stand. You've heard of love at first sight right? Well this was hate at first sight. His name's Draco Malfoy. He walks around the school like he owns the place and he's a pureblood snob. He keeps taunting Ron and his family._

_Anyway, so on to the sorting. I got sorted in to Gryffindor along with Ron, Hermione, Neville and a few other kids, all of them are really nice though. Malfoy got sorted into Slytherin along with his cronies. But here's the best news. Wait for it...wait for it...I'm in the Quidditch team. I know I'm only a first year, but I swear it's true. I'm Seeker. Well I guess you want to know how I got on the Quidditch team._

_So, we have flying lessons with the Slytherins and Madam Hooch was trying to teach us how to mount our brooms. Well Neville was kind of jumpy and so he shot off into the air and his broom went crazy. He got hurt so Madam Hooch had to take him to the hospital wing. Malfoy thought it was very funny, being the jerk he is and he found the Remembrall Neville had dropped and took it. Well I chased after him and then after he threw it, I went it into that dive that Dad had taught me and caught it. McGonagall saw me from her window and came out onto the pitch. I thought I was done for, but then she takes me to Professor Quirrell's class and calls out this dude called Oliver Wood who happens to be the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. _

_McGonagall says that I'm a great flier and that I caught that Remembrall in a fifty-foot dive and that I should be Seeker. She said she can convince Dumbledore to bypass the no first-year rule. So that was it! I'm in! I need a broom though. Can you please send me one?_

_So now the teachers. Professor Quirrell is quite a good teacher, apart from the fact that he's scared of his own subject. The rest of the teachers are fine except for one. He teaches Potions and he seems to hate me. His name is Severus Snape, the Head of Slytherin and well everyone knows he wants to be the DADA teacher. He hated me from the time I walked into his classroom. He keeps saying I'm arrogant and that just because I'm famous I shouldn't be treated differently. Hermione thinks he's petty and I appreciate that, I just don't like her that much because she's such a teacher's pet._

_So for other news. Malfoy conned me into a midnight duel that he chickened out of. Hermione was all for snitching on us. I couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering. Well we went anyway, but we had to run away from Filch as Malfoy had obviously tricked us. We ran to the third floor corridor and we went into small room. We realised later that it held a three-headed dog. I think it's guarding something._

_Anyway, I have homework to finish and I don't want any detentions. So I'll write later._

_Lots of Love, _

_Harry._

**Dear Harry,**

**Congratulations! I knew you'd be a great Quidditch player! Like father like son I guess. Lily and Mum are shaking their heads now. Lily thinks that you were very irresponsible. Imagine if he didn't know how to stop the dive she said. I told her to stop worrying, after all you did learn from the best.**

**Draco Malfoy is Lucius Malfoy's son. Sirius' cousin Narcissa is his mother. You're right, they're a very snobbish pureblood family. They think anyone who's a muggleborn or half-blood is beneath them. It's pretty disgusting actually. I know why you hate him. Severus Snape eh? Do you remember Snivelis from our old marauder stories? Well that's him. He hated me, so that's why he hates you. Who knew he could hold a grudge for so long? But Hermione's right, he's very petty.**

**Don't worry about Hermione. You'll get used to her or she'll grow on to you. That's what happened to Peter. Ron sounds great. I know his dad a bit from the Ministry and he's rather eccentric. Neville sounds exactly like Frank. He was forgetful too, but he grew out of it.**

**Anyway, we have a bit of good news for you. Lily's pregnant with twins. I hope you're happy because we are. **

**We're all happy with your letter. **

**Love,**

**Dad, Mum, Grandma and Uncle Remus.**

_Dear All,_

_Wow! I'm going to have siblings? This is great! You were right. Hermione's changed and she's becoming one of my best friends. It all started on Halloween. Someone had let the troll in and we all had to go to our dorms, but then I remembered Lavender Brown had mentioned Hermione crying in the toilets. Ron had said something about her being a loner and a bossy know-it-all. We headed in the opposite direction, towards the girls' bathroom. We found the troll just in time, when it was about to hit Hermione so I jumped up onto it's head and stuck my wand up his nose, but nothing happened. I shouted at Ron to do something and he yelled the first spell that came to his head-Wingardium Leviosa and then succeeded in knocking the troll out with it's own club._

_The teachers came of course. McGonagall was with them. Hermione got us out of trouble by saying that she'd gone looking for the troll because she had thought she could tackle them and that Ron and I had saved her life. McGonagall awarded Ron and I with ten house points and sent us to our dorms to finish our dinner._

_The first Quidditch game of the season was brilliant wasn't it? You were there, you saw! We won! The Nimbus Two-Thousand is great. Thank you so much! I didn't enjoy the bit when I almost fell off the broom though. Snape was doing that by the way, he tried to kill me. Hermione set his robes on fire and saved me. But we won! _

_We all went to Hagrid's house afterwards and told him about Snape. But he didn't believe us. I think Snape's after whatever Fluffy's guarding. Fluffy's the three-headed dog. Hagrid owns it. All Hagrid told us that what Fluffy's guarding is between Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel._

_When are the twins due? How is everyone? How's Biscuits? Can I stay at Hogwarts this Christmas? Ron's staying too and we want to find out more about Nicholas Flamel._

_Love,_

_Harry._

**Dear Harry,**

**We're glad you're happy about the news of the babies. Healer O'Neill said they're due around June 10th. We can't wait. We're glad you liked the broom too. It was you Grandma's idea. But are you sure Snape tried to kill you? I mean he's an evil git and all but I don't think he'd kill you. Not that I wouldn't put it past him of course,**

**Neither one of us were the least surprised to hear that Hagrid own Fluffy. He's always liked creatures of that sort. Nicholas Flamel and Dumbledore have been friends for a very long time, they'd done a lot of work together. I don't remember what they did though. Don't worry about it too much. It doesn't concern you.**

**Congratulations on knocking out the troll. Your Mum and Grandma were horrified, but Moony and I laughed till it hurt. I was glad someone found it as funny as me. Mum and your Grandma are slightly annoyed to find that you've taken after me.**

**You can stay for Christmas if you want. Biscuits misses you. He still sleeps in your bed and I think he likes that fact he has more room.**

**Keep us updated on that trapdoor, but don't get yourself into too much trouble.**

**Love,**

**Dad, Mum, Grandma and Uncle Remus.**

_Dear All,_

_Thanks for that cloak! I got it for Christmas from Dumbledore, but it was technically your Dad so thanks anyway. I liked the rest of your presents too. Ron was delighted when he got all the sweets and toffee Daisy and Dotty had made. Mrs Weasley made me a present too. Fudge and an emerald green sweater. _

_Anyway, I used the cloak to get into the Restricted Section of the Library, to find out about Nicholas Flamel. I didn't get much but I found a strange mirror. It's called the Mirror of Erised, and along the top it says: _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on whosi, _which is kind of clever because when you read it backwards it says, I show not your face but your heart's desire. _

_I saw us together with Granddad. It showed Ron as Quidditch Captain and Head Boy. I wonder why it's in Hogwarts. Well I went there one night and Dumbledore was there. He told me it showed you deepest and darkest secret, the one thing your heart truly desired._

_June 10th? That's quite near my birthday! This is so cool! I can't wait!_

_Ron's been teaching me how to play Wizard's Chess. I'm not bad, but I can't beat Ron. Fred and George told me the only person who can beat Ron at Wizard's Chess is their eldest brother Bill. But I wouldn't have lost so badly if I didn't have Percy helping me._

_I've had a few bad dreams recently. Mostly about Voldemort, green light and a high-pitched cackle. But the worst thing is that Snape has decided to referee the next match! Help me!_

_Love,_

_Harry._

**Dear Harry,**

**That cloak is amazing! It helped us pull lots of pranks at school. It's very useful. It might come in handy for dates or hiding from people when you're in trouble. Uncle Remus, Sirius, Peter and I had to use it for that on more than one occasion.**

**I'm sorry about what you saw in the mirror. Your Granddad was an incredible person. We all wish he was with us. I take after him much to your Grandma's dismay, as he was a troublemaker. **

**Lily's fine. She's started to eat grapes and tomato ketchup. She says it tastes nice. She used to eat plain sardines, and we all know she hates sardines. Your Mum misses you a lot and started to cry when she got your last letter-don't worry it's hormones.**

**Don't worry too much about Snape. Dumbledore said that he'll be there during the match to keep an eye out.**

**Love,**

**Dad, Mum, Grandma and Uncle Remus.**

_Dear All,_

_We found Nicholas Flamel! He's the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone. Something which provides both immortality and turns metal into gold! No wonder Snape wants it._

_Neville and Ron got into a fight with Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. It's great for Neville because he's had a major confidence boost. Malfoy got a black eye. _

_I heard Snape talking to Quirrell when I was flying over the Forbidden Forest. Snape was threatening Quirrell. He said something about telling him how to get past Fluffy and how to get past the DADA challenge. This confirms our suspicions. There are obstacles that have been set by most teachers; McGonagall, Dumbledore, Snape himself, Quirrell, Sprout and Flitwick. The stone is safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape._

_Hagrid had a dragon. A Norwegian Ridgeback he named Norbert. He got it off someone in a pub. Hermione went ballistic. He lives in a wooden house. The dragon hatched and Malfoy saw it. We've sent it to Charlie, Ron's brother in Romania. He works with dragons. We had to sneak up to the Astronomy Tower but we got caught. Neville tried to warn us but it didn't work. We got caught by McGonagall. We have detention, but we lost 150 points for Gryffindor._

_My detention was to go into the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid. We had to try to find the monster who had been slaying unicorns. I saw Voldemort there and a centaur called Firenze saved me. Voldemort was in a black cloak, I couldn't see his face thankfully but my scar started to burn. Firenze told me that anyone who slays a unicorn and drinks it's blood will be saved from death but will live a cursed life. Now I know Snape is working for Voldemort._

_I'll go to Dumbledore if I see anything. I'll see you when Mum pops._

_Love,_

_Harry._

_ **********_

Harry grinned as he stood outside the maternity ward at St Mungo's. He could hear his Mum shrieking insults at his Dad. He couldn't wait. He was going to have siblings!

He waited eagerly along with his uncle and Grandma. Harry jumped up when he saw James walk out of the room holding two pink bundles.

"Harry meet your sisters, Arya Eleanor Potter and Iris Alicia Potter. They're both 6 pounds and 3 ounces of sweetness," James grinned.

Harry smiled as he took Arya into his hands. She was small and light. He already felt protective over both of them.

Arya and Iris were identical twins. They were both starting to get reddish hair and almond-shaped eyes. James wondered what colour they'd be.

"Remus, you're Arya's godfather and we've asked Minerva to be the godmother. Iris' godfather is Hagrid and her godmother is you Mum," James said.

"Me?" Dorea asked.

"Yeah! Remus are you ok with that?" James questioned.

"I'm fine. How's Lily?" Remus asked as he took his goddaughter from Harry.

"She's fine. A little annoyed with her new kids that's all. I think it's time for the twins' dinner," James said.

Harry grinned. His sisters were the most beautiful babies he'd ever seen. He was torn between wanting to go home and wanting to go back to Hogwarts. Harry sighed as he walked into the maternity ward after the twins had finished feeding. He didn't really have a choice.

**********

_Dear All,_

_Everyone loves Arya and Iris-well at least how they look as I showed them the photos. They're adorable. I can't believe they ended up looking a bit like everyone. Mum's hair and eye shape and Dad's hazel eyes._

_ I decided last night that I'm going after Snape._

_I have to revise, Hermione's insisting on 2 hours a day of revision. _

_Love,_

_Harry._

**Dear Harry,**

**DON'T YOU DARE GO AFTER THAT STONE! IT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU AND YOU COULD GET KILLED! IT'S ABSOLUTELY UNESSECARY. IT'S VOLDEMORT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT! HE MAY BE HALF-DEAD BUT HE'S VERY POWERFUL! DON'T YOU DARE GO ANYWHERE NEAR HIM!**

**Love,**

**Mum, Dad, Grandma, Uncle Remus, Iris and Arya.**

_ **********_

Harry woke up in the hospital wing a week later. His family were seated next to him waiting patiently for him to wake up. Arya and Iris were asleep. Lily looked livid. Harry reached for his glasses.

"I'm sorry Mum," Harry apologized.

"Oh honey," Lily started, "HARRY JAMES POTTER IF YOU EVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO ME AGAIN, YOU'L BE GROUNDED FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! Oh sweetheart, I'm so glad you're alright."

"I'm fine Mum, how are Ron and Hermione?" Harry asked as he sat up.

"They're fine. They've been waiting for you to come around for days," Remus replied.

Harry was about to say something when Albus Dumbledore came in, "Ah Harry, finally awake I see."

"Yes Sir, but Quirrell has the stone and--," Harry began.

"You are behind times my dear boy. The stone has been destroyed." Dumbledore explained.

"But what about Nicholas Flamel?" Harry asked.

"You know about him? Oh you did do this thing properly didn't you?" Dumbledore asked, sounding delighted.

" He'll die won't he?"

"When you're as old as Nicholas, death is just the next great adventure. So why don't you tell us all what happened?" Dumbledore suggested.

Harry explained everything. How he, Hermione and Ron had gone to see Professor McGonagall and how she didn't believe them, how they'd questioned Hagrid about the stranger and then had learned how to get past Fluffy. Harry told them about the Devil's Snare and Hermione to kill it by using sunlight, the Chess set and Ron's skill, the flying keys, the troll that had been dealt with before them, and the Potions and Hermione's logic. He told them about Quirrell's attempts to kill him and Snape's attempts to save him. He told them about how Voldemort was on the back of Quirrell's head and how Quirrell had died when Harry touched him.

"Why did he die like that Sir?" Harry asked.

"He disappeared because of love. Love is the purest emotion in the world. When Lily almost died to save you from the Killing Curse, she meant to die instead of you, and that's bound to leave some mark. The love lives in your very skin. The love is so pure that Quirrell couldn't bare to touch it, as he had shared his soul with evil, " Dumbledore explained.

"Oh," Harry said.

"Well honey, we have to leave. We'll see you tomorrow at the train station. Enjoy all you sweets," Lily smiled as she pointed to the gifts and chocolates Harry had received.

"Ah yes. What happened between you and Quirrell is a complete secret, so naturally the whole school knows. Therefore they decided to send you sweets and I think the Weasley twins were responsible for sending you a toilet seat but Madam Pomfrey confiscated it for sanitary reasons," Dumbledore informed.

Harry grinned.

"Well, bye sweetheart and don't do something like that again. You gave all of us quite a fright," Dorea scolded.

"Yes Grandma. Bye. Can I hold the twins please? Just for a second," Harry asked.

Lily nodded and placed Arya and Iris into their brother's hands.

"Bye girls. I'll see you too tomorrow," Harry cooed, waving as his family left.

Soon afterwards, Ron and Hermione came and asked him to recount the story. He told them everything in detail. They were a very good audience, gasping and screaming at the right moments. He learned that Gryffindor had lost the Quidditch Cup as they were missing their Seeker.

Hagrid came after Ron and Hermione had left. He was sobbing as he thought everything was his fault. Hagrid gave Harry pictures of his whole family. Harry smiled and thanked Hagrid.

That evening was one of the best evenings of his life. He, Ron, Hermione and Neville were awarded 170 house points- Neville for standing up to his friends, showing a lot of courage. This secured the House Cup for Gryffindor. The feast was incredible. Harry grinned. He'd definitely miss Hogwarts over the summer.

**  
A/N: So how was that chapter? Did you like the little surprises? I hope you did! I think Harry should have siblings...it would make the story more interesting! Please review......you know you want to............**

**Merry Christmas & Happy New Year in advance**

**CM x **


	8. Chapter 8: Summer

**A/N: I'm so sorry! I know I haven't updated in ages. So a Belated Happy New Year to everyone and happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything**

Harry smiled as he walked into Potter Manor. He felt slightly shocked as his first year had turned out to be more eventful than he had hoped. He helped Dotty and Daisy carry his things into his room before he sat down with the adults in the living room.

"So how do you feel?" Remus asked.

"Alright. I didn't really get hurt too badly," Harry replied as he stroked Biscuits' head.

"I never thought you'd end up facing Voldemort so soon," Lily said sadly.

"But you knew I'd face him sometime?" Harry asked.

James nodded, "Voldemort's very powerful. He will find a way to come back,"

"How bad was it when he was around?" Harry asked.

"It was terrible. Everyone was afraid, for their friends, their family and themselves. Even now, he's disappeared for ten years but many people won't say his name. He bought fear amongst the strongest of us. He was deadly Harry, and his followers, the Death Eaters were just as bad. Voldemort's name itself strikes fear in the heart of most people, but Dumbledore says that '_fear of a name increases the fear of the thing itself_'. " Dorea explained.

"Yeah and he used the Unforgivable Curses so much that most Death Eaters used them as an excuse. The Imperius Curse especially," Remus added.

"What are they?" Harry asked.

"The Unforgivables are three curses. The use of anyone of them will earn you a one way ticket to Azkaban, the Wizard Prison. The Imperius Curse is used to control. The person who casts the spell is able to control the victim's mind. He can make the victim do whatever he pleases. That's why so many people used it as an excuse," Lily explained.

"So he's back?" Harry asked.

"He was never gone Harry. He was gone in the sense that he wouldn't be able to destroy anyone or hurt anyone but he's still alive. He'll find a way to gain power and a body. Many of his followers are still around and if they hear about him, you can bet they'll help him return to power," James said sadly.

"So he isn't dead?" Harry enquired.

"No. You delayed his return Harry." Dorea explained.

"Will someone ever be able to kill him once and for all?" Harry questioned.

Lily and James exchanged a worried glance as they remembered the prophecy. But how could they tell an eleven-year-old that the fate of the entire wizarding world would rest on his shoulders one day?

" Hopefully. Now what do you say we go and eat some of that carrot cake Daisy made earlier?" Lily asked trying to lighten the mood.

"You're on!" Harry exclaimed as he raced into the kitchen.

***********

Harry enjoyed most aspects of his summer holidays. He spent a lot of time with his two sisters. They both had red hair and brown eyes but they had Lily's almond eye-shape. They were adorably cute, although they were slightly chubby. They were only two months old.

Lily, Dorea and Remus were normally at home. Lily had taken leave from her job to take care of the twins. Harry normally played Quidditch with Remus and he read a lot. On his birthday, Harry felt depressed. He had received nothing from his friends, not a letter or note, although he'd written many to them. He knew his family were worried about him, but his mood got worse everyday.

"Happy Birthday Harry!" Lily exclaimed.

"Thanks Mum,"

"Would you like to open your presents?" Dorea asked.

"Sure!" Harry exclaimed taking the present from his mother's hand.

Harry opened the present and grinned as he saw a painting of him and his sisters to go on his bedroom wall.

"Thanks!"

"It's ok Harry. James meant to stay, but he got an urgent call from work,"

Harry hugged each of them and went out onto the Quidditch pitch with his broomstick. There was a house-elf waiting there. Harry could tell he was a house-elf because he wore a pillow as clothes. He had tennis balls for eyes and large pointed ears.

"I'm sorry but er...who are you?" Harry asked.

"I is honoured to meet you Harry Potter sir," the elf said said in a high-pitched squeak.

"It's nice to meet you too,"

The elf bowed so low that his nose touched the ground, "My name is Dobby and I is coming to warn you,"

"Warn me? About what?" Harry asked distressed. "Why don't you sit down D--"

"S-s-sit d-d-down? Harry Potter sir, Dobby has heard of your bravery but not of your greatness and kindness. Never before has Dobby been treated like a...like a e-equal," Dobby sobbed.

"Well, you can't have met many decent wizards then," Harry said surprised. Daisy and Dotty always had their meals along with the family, they wore neat uniforms, got a salary and a five days off a month!

"No sir," Dobby replied. Two seconds later he seemed to realize what he just said. He snatched Harry's broom out if his hand and started hitting himself over the head, "Bad Dobby. Bad Dobby,"

"What are you doing? You'll hurt yourself," Harry said.

"I spoke badly of my family, I is punishing myself." Dobby replied as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.

Harry shook his head, this elf took lunacy to another level. "So what did you want to warn me about?

"Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts," Dobby said.

"What?" Harry asked, "That's ridiculous! Why not?"

"Dangerous things are going to happen and Harry Potter shouldn't be there. It is best if Harry Potter stays here,"

"That's stupid. My friends are there and I'm not going to let them get hurt," Harry replied.

"Friends who don't even write to Harry Potter?" Dobby asked.

"Well I suppose they've just been a bit...wait a minute, how do you know my friends haven't been writing to me?"

Dobby reached under his pillow cover and extracted a stack of letters. Harry recognized the handwriting on the one on the top immediately, it was Ron's handwriting.

"Have you been stopping my letters? Give them to me!" Harry ordered.

"I thought if Harry Potter thought he didn't have any friends, Harry Potter wouldn't go back to Hogwarts," Dobby explained.

"Give those letters to me!" Harry shouted, glaring at the house-elf who was now cowering.

"Promise Dobby that Harry Potter won't return to Hogwarts," Dobby said.

"No!" Harry exclaimed as he began chasing Dobby.

The elf squealed as Harry pounced on him. Dotty came out at that very minute. Dobby disappeared.

"Harry what were you doing?" Dotty asked.

"That house-elf was hiding my letters."

"What is his name?" Dotty asked.

"Dobby," Harry replied.

"Well the only Dobby I is knowing is working for the Malfoys. I is sure you is knowing their son,"

"Yeah, the prat must have sent them to me to stop me coming to Hogwarts," Harry said, his eyes darkening. He stormed inside.

"Well, here's a hurricane! Whatever is the matter Harry?" Dorea asked.

Harry explained everything that had just happened.

"Hmm, well the boy is obviously very foolish so don't worry your head about him. If you want to see your friends I'm sure Lily or James will take you to their house," Dorea said.

"Really?" Harry asked.

"Yes,"

**********

"Cool!" Harry exclaimed.

Harry grinned as he got into his Dad's car. **(A/N: Picture on profile)** James was taking him to see Ron. James had gotten the address from work. Harry couldn't wait. He'd told his Dad about Dobby and the 'warning' yesterday and James had told him to ignore Dobby, after all, with Dumbledore as Headmaster, what could possibly go wrong?

"Bye," Harry said as he waved to his sisters,mother and uncle.

"Bye Sweetheart, have a good time. We'll see you at the station," Lily replied.

Harry felt a pang of guilt as he realised he wasn't going to see his mother or sisters in a month. James had talked to Arthur Weasley and Arthur had invited Harry to stay over for the summer.

James smiled as he saw his son's face, "Harry, there's nothing to feel guilty about. We'll see you soon,"

"Ok Dad, but I feel bad about just leaving like that," Harry replied.

"Don't worry about it," James told him.

Harry nodded and turned on the radio and Michael Jackson's Black or White blared out of the stereo. They drove in a comfortable silence, just listening to the radio, until they reached the Burrow.

It was a weirdly shaped, six-story house. It looked like the house had been pulled apart and stuck together by magic. Other than his, it was the the coolest house he had ever seen. The front yard was littered with weeds and wellington boots. A lopsided sign that said 'The Burrow' in big letters was stuck in the ground. There was a large garden in the back and Harry could make out the gnarled trees, a barn, chicken coop and a broom shed. Harry could picture Fred and George in here any day.

"Wow! This is so cool!" Harry exclaimed.

"Yep, it is. It's slightly eccentric and it fits Arthur Weasley to tee," James replied.

They walked towards the front door and Harry knocked lightly. It was opened by a pretty, chubby woman. She had red hair and brown eyes. She wore a flowery apron with her wand sticking out of the pocket. Harry recognized her as Ron's mum.

"Hello Harry. Well you've come just in time for a spot of breakfast. Lord Potter, what a pleasure to see you! I haven't seen you in a while," Mrs Weasley said, as she invited them in.

"Thanks Mrs Weasley!" Harry exclaimed.

"Oh it's alright dear. Now have you had any breakfast?" Mrs Weasley asked as she pointed her wand at the stove.

"No. Harry was too excited to eat anything. We left as soon as he was ready," James replied.

"Well come and sit down and I'll see what I can get you," Mrs Weasley said as she took the plates out of the cupboard, "Arthur and I were wondering why you hadn't got the letters. I was shocked when I heard about that elf. They have to be ordered to do something and I can't see Lucius Malfoy's son helping Harry because Ron said he troubled them a lot."

"Yes, it does seem very fishy. The Malfoys wouldn't help Harry because...well you know why..." James trailed off.

Molly nodded with a knowing look. She dished out the omlettes, bacon,hash browns and the sausages onto plates and bought them to the table. She started to cut bread and butter it before handing it to Harry and James.

"So Ron didn't receive any of the letters I wrote either?" Harry asked.

"No. He was wondering why and he wrote to you almost everyday. Of course the family was astounded because he was writing so much," Mrs Weasley laughed.

Harry and James chuckled. They ate their breakfast, it was very good and James stood up and handed their plates to Mrs Weasley.

"Well I'd better go and get your trunk from the car," James said.

"Harry? HARRY!" Ron exclaimed as he thundered down the stairs.

"Hi Ron!"

"You're staying?"

"Yeah,"

"Harry, what are you doing here?" Fred asked as he sat down at the table.

"'Sup Harry?" George asked.

"I'm staying here," Harry replied.

"Really? Cool! How come you never replied to Ronniekins' letters?" Fred questioned as he helped himself to more sausages.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later," Harry answered.

More creaking told them that more people were coming downstairs. Percy appeared a moment later, looking extremely happy.

"Good Morning Harry, Mr Potter," Percy greeted.

"Hello Percy," Harry said suppressing a grin.

Then a small red-headed girl came rushing down the stairs. "Mum, have you seen my jumper?"

"Check in your room sweetheart. I'm sure I saw it there yesterday." Mrs Weasley replied.

The girl nodded and turned around. Her eyes widened when she saw Harry and she shrieked before running upstairs.

"Umm...Who's that?" Harry asked.

"That's Ginny. She's been talking about you all summer. It's quite annoying actually." Ron replied, smirking.

"She likes you Harry," James said. He was holding Harry's trunk.

"Umm...yeah, sure. Thanks Dad."

"No problem." James replied.

"Hello James. You must be Harry. Are you staying for the summer?" Mr Weasley asked as he came down the stairs.

Harry nodded, "Yes sir,"

"Good for you!" Mr Weasley exclaimed as he took the plate his wife handed him and began to eat.

"So Harry, I take it you know a bit about muggles," Mr Weasley said.

"Umm, yeah," Harry replied.

"Can you tell me the exact function of a rubber duck?" Mr Weasley asked.

Harry began to laugh but stopped when he realized Mr Weasley was serious.

"Well--" Harry began, but he was interrupted by the post.

Mrs Weasley was handing the letters around to everyone. "Hogwarts letters. Oh and here's Harry's too. Dumbledore must know you're here then. Doesn't miss a trick that man."

Harry opened the letter. There wasn't really any difference from last year, just that this time there was a new set of books:

_**A Standard Book of Spells Grade Two **_**by Miranda Goshawk  
**_**Break with a Banshee **_**by Gilderoy Lockhart  
**_**Gadding with Ghouls **_**by Gilderoy Lockhart  
**_**Holiday with Hags **_**by Gilderoy Lockhart  
**_**Travels with Trolls **_**by Gilderoy Lockhart  
**_**Voyages with Vampires **_**by Gilderoy Lockhart  
**_**Wandering with Werewolves **_**by Gilderoy Lockhart  
**_**Year with the Yeti **_**by Gilderoy Lockhart**

"Who's Gilderoy Lockhart?" Harry asked.

"This blonde guy Mum fancies. I bet the new DADA teachers a witch." Fred replied in disgust.

"Well, Mrs Weasley, thanks for the breakfast, but I ought to get going. Arthur, do you want a ride to work?" James asked.

"In a muggle vehicle?" Mr Weasley asked.

James grinned. "Yeah. Bye Harry."

Harry hugged his father before waving good-bye to his father and Mr Weasley.

"Fred, George, Ron, I need you to de-gnome the garden for me," Mrs Weasley said.

"What? But Mum Harry's here," Ron moaned.

"Yes, I know that. Now, Lets see what Lockhart has to say," Mrs Weasley said taking out a large book with a picture of a blonde wizard on the cover.

"We know how to de-gnome the garden Mum. We don't need Lockhart's advice." Ron said.

"Harry have you ever de-gnomed before?" George asked.

"No. We don't have any gnomes at home," Harry replied.

"Come on then! We'll show you," Fred said as he headed out.

**********

Life at the Burrow was definitely different. Harry decided that this was his third favourite place in the world (Potter Manor was first and Hogwarts was second). The Weasleys were very kind. They had invited Harry's family over four or five times so the parents had gotten well acquainted. Ginny had fallen in love with Arya and Iris. They were slightly bigger now and had wispy red hair. Harry was enjoying his holidays to the utmost.

During Harry's last week at the Burrow, they had decided to go to Diagon Alley. He was surprised to hear that Ginny would be starting Hogwarts too. She was just so _small _that he'd thought she was ten.

He found it quite annoying that he was her first crush. She'd constantly stutter, trip and fall or have a clumsy moment. He chose to ignore this, but it was difficult as Fred and George insisted on reminding him. James and Remus teased him as well. Lily and Dorea on the other hand had given each other knowing looks when they saw Ginny fall and winked at him.

They Flooed to Diagon Alley. Harry was sure it wasn't his favorite way to travel. Luckily he only broke his glasses. They made their way to _Gringotts _to meet Hermione, who looked appalled at Harry's state and greeted him with a, "What _have_ you done to your glasses Harry? Never mind, _Oculus Reparo." _Hisglasses were as good as new.

They'd got some money out and then headed to Flourish and Blotts. They were surprised to see a long line. They pushed their way past the dozens of people (mainly women) to see what was happening. Then they noticed a blonde man signing autographs.

"Merlin's Beard! It's Gilderoy Lockhart! I can't believe we get to meet him," Hermione all but squealed. Ron shot her a disgusted look. She shrugged, "He's practically written the entire booklist!"

A photographer stepped on Ron's foot and he scowled at the man as he was asked to move out of the way. Harry was about suggest that they should leave and come back later, but a manly voice called out over the babble of shrieking ladies; "It can't be Harry Potter!"

The entire bookstore went silent and people began to search for Harry. Harry was trying to hide when the photographer saw him, "Here he is," and he found himself being pushed into the waiting arms of Gilderoy Lockhart.

"Smile Harry! Together we're worth the front page. I'm sure you want the picture to look good," Lockhart said. He was tall with blonde hair, blue eyes and a wide, toothy smile. He slung his arm across Harry's shoulder and smiled.

Harry tried to pull away but it was no use. Lockhart had a very firm grip and the photographer had already clicked the camera.

"Ladies and gentlemen, now seems the perfect time to make the announcement. When young Harry stepped into Flourish and Blotts he only intended to buy the copies of my autobiography, _Magical Me, _which I'll be happy to give him, free of charge. He had no idea that he's be receiving the real magical me. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I am happy to announce that I have accepted the post of Hogwarts' new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Lockhart announced, beaming as the crowd burst into applause.

"Oh joy!" Harry muttered sarcastically.

"Here you can have these, I'll buy my own," Harry said, giving the stack of books to Ginny, who blushed profusely.

He winced as he heard a familiar drawl. " Bet you loved that didn't you Potter? The famous Harry Potter, can't even go into a bookshop without making a big fuss of himself,"

"Leave him alone. He didn't want all that!" Ginny retorted, glaring at Malfoy. Harry was surprised, it was the first time she'd spoken in front of him.

"Well, looks like you've got yourself a girlfriend too," Malfoy sneered.

Ginny turned red, just as Ron, Hermione, Fred and George turned up, "What are you lot doing here? Lets get out of here, it's a madhouse!"

A blonde long-haired man appeared next to them. He looked exactly like Draco, his upper lip turned outwards mockingly, as he took in the second-hand books and robes the Weasleys were carrying and Hermione's parents who were talking to Lockhart. "Well Draco, aren't you going to introduce to your friends? Harry Potter, what an honour it is to meet you. And you must be Hermione Granger? Draco tells me you're at the top of the class, despite your Muggle parentage of course." He turned to the Weasleys, "So these must be the Weasleys," He reached out into Ginny's cauldron and picked up a battered second-hand copy of a Transfiguration book,just as Mr Weasley was making his way towards them, "Tut tut tut, the Ministry still isn't paying you enough Arthur, even though you've been working overtime. It seems you still can't afford a decent book for your daughter,"

Mr Weasley turned beet red, " Other people have a different view of what is decent and what isn't"

Suddenly, Ginny's cauldron went flying backwards as Mr Malfoy lunged at Mr Weasley. They had gotten into a intense fight. They had already knocked over a few bookshelves when Mrs Weasley came and shouted at them to stop. Luckily Hagrid stepped in and ripped them apart. Mr Weasley had a slightly cut lip, but Harry was happy to see Mr Malfoy's condition was much worse, he had a black eye and a bloody nose. Mr Malfoy and his son left the bookstore.

Mrs Weasley was beside herself with anger. After a long lecture on presentable behaviour and bad role-models, they decided to go back to the Burrow.

**********

Finally, it was time to go back to school. They were going to the station in Mr Weasley's Ford Anglia. Harry thought it was highly unlikely that everyone would fit in the car, not to mention their trunks. Mr Weasley saw Harry's worried expression and told him that he's 'helped the car' a bit. Harry grinned. He loved magic.

By the time they arrived at the station they were running late. Everyone went through the barrier to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, leaving Harry and Ron with just about a minute to get through before the train left.

"Let's run Harry!" Ron exclaimed, glancing at the clock.

Harry nodded and started to run. But instead of entering the secret platform they crashed headlong into the wall. Muggles began to look at them curiously.

"Now what?" Harry asked.

"We'll have to wait for our parents," Ron replied.

"We've missed the train,so lets to go to the car. We're attracting too much attention here," Harry suggested, as he saw a Muggle lady give Hedwig a weird look.

"That's it Harry! The car!" Ron exclaimed.

"What?"

Ron started to walk. Harry followed him out to the car. They placed all of their luggage into the car boot. Harry grinned as he saw Ron sit in the driver's seat.

"Can you drive it? Won't Muggles see it?" Harry asked.

"Yeah I can drive it. Dad's added a flying charm and an invisibility charm to it," Ron replied.

Harry nodded, "Lets go then!"

**********

**Dear Harry,**

**WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? WERE YOU THINKING AT ALL? THAT WAS SO IRRESPONSIBLE! YOU HAD BETTER HAVE A GOOD REASON FOR THAT STUNT BECAUSE IT ALMOST GAVE US A HEART ATTACK! WHY WEREN'T YOU ON THE TRAIN LIKE YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE?**

**Right so now that I've passed the message on from your Mum and Grandma, I have to say that was bloody brilliant! That definitely proves you're a true Marauder. Your Mum and Grandma obviously don't agree with me, but I told Moony and he almost died of laughter.**

**We got the letter form Professor McGonagall that you and Ron have both received detention and that you crashed into the Whomping Willow. That tree's dangerous. It was planted there for Moony so he had a place to go when you-know-what happened. Don't go anywhere near that tree until you find the map.**

**We're sorry we couldn't make it to see you off, Arya managed to hide herself very effectively. When we found her, Iris went 'missing'. They're taking after you. **

**We want a reply explaining your highly irresponsible actions and why you weren't on that train.**

**Love,**

**Dad, Mum, Grandma, Uncle Moony, Iris and Arya.**

**P.S. Have a good year.**

**A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. Review please.**

**Keep smiling!**

**CM x**


	9. Chapter 9: Second Year

**A/N: I'm sorry about the delay. But I finally updated. This chapter is dedicated to FairyNinjaPrincess.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing....**

**~Enjoy~**

_Dear All,_

_We flew to Hogwarts because we couldn't get through the magic barrier. I don't know why though. We realised that the train had left so we decided to go by car. Everyone else made it through the barrier just fine, though. The Whomping Willow is definitely a dangerous tree. It's so destructive! Both Ron and I were glad that the car knew how to get out of a sticky situation. Everything but Ron's wand survived._

_Ron received a nice little surprise from Mrs Weasley. Note the sarcasm. She sent him a Howler. Ron was scared stiff, and I now know why. Mrs Weasley is scary when she's angry! Worse than Mum and Grandma. Hermione was of course, very annoyed with both of us and wasn't talking to us, but after the Howler, I think she thinks we got what we deserved. Mrs Weasley said Mr Weasley's facing an inquiry at work, I hope everything turns out alright._

_Gilderoy Lockhart is the perfect definition of a stereotypical dumb blonde! He's our new DADA teacher, not that he knows much of course. He cornered me before Herbology and starts to lecture me about how I liked attention and how he'd given me the taste of fame and how I'd liked it too much for my own good. Have you ever heard such nonsense? He said that just because he'd won _Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award _five times in a row and the fact that he was so handsome and famous, didn't mean that I had to try to prove myself. He said that one day I'd have the chance to be more famous than him. Mum, you say Dad's got a huge ego but Lockhart takes the biscuit._

_I met Justin Finch-Fletchley from Hufflepuff today. He's a bit of chatterbox but he's a great bloke. We met him in Herbology, whilst re-potting Mandrakes. That was the worst Herbology lesson ever._

_There's this kid called Colin Creevey, he's a first year and he idolizes me. It's annoying. He always tries to take my picture. He tried to take a picture of me and then Lockhart walked out of his classroom. Then he starts to lecture me about being big-headed. That's hypocritical because the 'DADA test' we had with him was horrible! It was about his textbooks and the questions were like: What's Gilderoy Lockhart's favourite colour or What is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date? And he was talking to me about being big-headed. Anyway, the worst is yet to come. He then unlocked a cage full of Cornish Pixies. They're nasty little devils. Unfortunately, I don't think Lockhart knew how to handle them. The spell he tried didn't even work and one of the Pixies took his wand and chucked it out the window. Then three of the Pixies took Neville by the ear and hung him by his blazer on the candelabra. Lockhart on the other hand, just went into his office and shut the door, asking Ron, Hermione and I to get them back into their cage. Like I said it was horrible!_

_The Gryffindor Quidditch team have started their training early this year. Not that our session was very successful of course. Wood gave us a long lecture about our strategy. We were on the field and just about to start when Slytherin's Quidditch team come with a note from Snape saying that they need to train their new Seeker. And that Seeker happens to be none other than the one and only prat, Draco Malfoy. That's not the only new addition to their team though. Malfoy's Dad must have bought his son's way onto the team because Slytherin have got the new Nimbus Two-Thousand and Ones. Hermione and Ron made their way onto the pitch and Hermione said something about Gryffindor's players getting in on talent. Then Malfoy called her a Mudblood. Everyone went mad, I did too, not that I knew what that meant, but since when has Draco been nice to Hermione?_

_Ron cursed Malfoy but the spell backfired so he's been belching slugs. Hagrid told me that a Mudblood was a foul name for Muggleborns._

_My detention was a disaster. I had to help Lockhart sign his fan mail. I heard this weird voice talking about ripping and killing but Lockhart said he didn't. It's very strange._

_So you could say that my term so far has been eventful._

_Love,_

_Harry._

_P.S. If I'm using words I don't normally use like hypocritical, then Hermione's language is growing on me. I mean I heard Ron say yesterday that our DADA class was absolutely preposterous. That is not normal!_

**Dear Harry,**

**We have no idea why the barrier closed like that. We've filled Dumbledore in and he said he didn't know either and things will unfold as time passes. Don't worry your head about Arthur too much. He got a small fine from the Ministry, half of which your mother and I insisted on paying of course since you were involved. Molly and Arthur both argued, but we pestered them until they agreed.**

**Tell Ron to write home for another wand. I don't really think he's going to be able to do anything with it and I don't think Molly and Arthur are going to appreciate it when he fails his practicals.**

**Lockhart is conceited. He used to go to Hogwarts around the same time as your mother and me. He was a chick magnet then too. Of course he wasn't too good at lessons, strictly average from what I remember. Then again people change and from what I've heard he has made quite a life for himself, even if he is a fraud.**

**The summer was quiet without you and Arya and Iris missed you a lot. They're using magic more and more now. They managed to lift and rearrange the furniture in the living room. Like I said they're taking after you.**

**The Auror Department is also going through some changes. Kingsley Shacklebolt has become the new Head of Department. It's amazing because he's so young! I was offered the position but I turned it down, partly because the job involves so much paperwork so Moody, your Mum, Grandma and Moony convinced me to be in Assistant Head of Department. That's alright with me,I mostly have to make sure everyone's doing their jobs and if we go into war, I'll lead one of the groups. Not that there's going to be a war anytime soon of course.**

**Moony's still researching that cure. He's going to the Himalayas soon. He's found out about some herbs that can cure anything. He's very excited about it. We're not sure how long he'll be gone, but we hope he'll come back with something.**

**Keep us updated with those voices, I'm sure you're not going mad or anything you were just really tired or you were sick of hearing Lockhart's voice so your brain decided to tell you to hear things? Yeah I know that the most ridiculous suggestion I've ever heard.**

**Love,**

**Dad, Mum, Grandma, Moony, Arya and Iris.**

**P.S. It's great Hermione's language is growing on you, you'll become more professional.**

Dear All,

I was invited to a Deathday Party. Hermione was so excited. It was a drag but I owed Nearly Headless Nick because he'd gotten me out of trouble. He was really angry because he couldn't go to the Headless Hunt and I was slopping mud around the place from a very dirty Quidditch practice. Anyway after I got hauled to Filch's office I found a Kwikspell letter and found out Filch was a Squib and I don't even know what that is.

Like I said, the Deathday Party was a drag. It was full of rotten smelly food and horribly eerie music. Needless to say, Hermione, Ron and I wanted to leave ASAP. So we were just about to leave for dessert because we couldn't take anymore. Then I heard the voice and it said something about ripping, tearing, killing and being hungry for so long or something. Well we followed the voice and we ended up in a flooded corridor and on the wall it said: **The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, enemies of the heir beware.** Once again, I was the only one who heard the voice.

As I had said before, the corridor was flooded. It was right outside the girls' bathroom but it was out of order. Filch's cat was also hanging from a hook on the wall, she was stiff. It was like she'd been frozen. Anyway, then Filch appeared on the scene and tried to frame me but then Dumbledore comes and says that Mrs Norris has been petrified. And that she hasn't died. He also said that there is a cure for this and Professor Sprout will get to work straight away with the Mandrakes. I told them about the Deathday Party, but I haven't told them about the 'voices'. I told Hermione and Ron and they said I shouldn't have told them. Do you agree? They think I'm crazy.

Love,

Harry.

P.S. Congratulations Dad! I'm glad you got the job. Good Luck to you Uncle Moony.

**Dear Harry,**

**Keep the voice to yourself and don't tell anyone about it for now. I don't think you're going crazy like I said but I think there's something fishy going on. First the barrier, then the voices and now the Chamber. Now I'm beginning to think that the thing that Dobby said wasn't a set up. It was a warning Harry. Dobby belongs to the Malfoys, so that means that Draco brat might know what's going on. **

**I don't know too much about the Chamber of Secrets but don't go worrying your head too much about it. It couldn't be a prank. But if that cat was petrified it would be impossible to pull of. I can't remember what it's cause is though. I remember reading about it somewhere.**

**Keep us updated and most importantly, keep safe.**

**Love,**

**Dad, Mum, Grandma, Moony, Arya and Iris.**

Dear All,

Hermione asked Professor Binns about the Chamber and he told us the basic story. Godric Gryffindor (hoot hoot), Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin (BOO!) founded Hogwarts. Then Gryffindor and Slytherin had an argument because Slytherin wanted to separate the muggleborns from the purebloods. All of the other founders refused so Slytherin left the school. But before he left, he built a chamber deep inside the castle and hid a beast in there. The chamber could only be opened by Slytherin's true heir and only the Heir of Slytherin could control the beast.

Apparently, the castle has been searched lots of times, but no one has ever found it.

The spiders in the castle are starting to act really weird. They keep running away from places. We went to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom to investigate a bit but then we were caught by Percy. He threatened to take points away if he caught us anywhere near there again.

Everyone's wondering who the Heir of Slytherin is. Most people think it's Malfoy because he's so anti-muggleborn and 'blood traitors'. Anyway, Hermione came up with this idea to use the Polyjuice Potion to trick Malfoy into telling us if he is the Heir of Slytherin. It's in a book called **Moste Potente Potions** and it's in the Restricted Section. Sometimes, having a dimwitted teacher like Lockhart helps. I don't even think he looked at the book we wanted! We're brewing the potion in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

Lockhart informed me that he used to be a Seeker too (as if) and now he's offering to help me if I ever need it (he wishes). He's stupid! We've been re-enacting some of the 'great' things he did in his books in our lessons. I mean how dumb is that?

The Quidditch game was very rough. I now know why being a Seeker is so dangerous. We had a Rogue Bludger and it wouldn't leave me alone at all. I caught the Snitch but my arm broke. To make things worse, Lockhart tried to fix it and he removed the bones from my arm! It's very painful as you can imagine and my arm's all floppy. It's gross! Dobby came to visit me in the middle of the night, at the hospital wing. Dobby told me that he'd blocked the barrier to stop Ron and me getting to Hogwarts. It was his Rogue Bludger that had broken my hand. He said he had wanted me to get hurt badly enough to go home. He also said that the Chamber of Secrets has been opened before.

He then disappeared because he had said a little too much. Then Dumbledore and McGonagall came in carrying a petrified Colin Creevey! Dumbledore said that his worst fears had been confirmed and that the Chamber had been re-opened.

Love,

Harry.

**Dear Harry,**

**This sounds dangerous, so please be careful. I don't think you'll need to worry too much because you're not a muggleborn. Hermione thought of the idea? Then you are definitely growing on her. An exchange of personalities, lets call it.**

**Moaning Myrtle? I remember her. She was there in our time. That bathroom's been out of order for ages so I don't think anyone's going to find out.**

**Dobby is definitely the weirdest house elf I've met apart from Kreacher, he was Sirius' house elf. But Dobby kind of scares us all. If he isn't careful, he'll end up hurting you really badly (touch wood he doesn't). I guess you're lucky that Lockhart's stupid then eh? We complained to Dumbledore but he told us to be patient.**

**I'll talk to Dotty and Daisy about house elves. They seem to know Dobby too which may help.**

**Keep safe and keep us posted.**

**Love,**

**Dad, Mum, Moony, Grandma, Arya and Iris.**

Dear All,

Hermione and Ron had started to work on the potion whilst I was in the Hospital Wing. We had to steal some of the ingredients from Snape's private stores. Hermione was the one who did the actual stealing, Ron and I just created a diversion. I put a firework into Goyle's cauldron. Snape suspects me, but he can't prove it. So the potion's going well. It'll be ready around Christmas time, so I'll have to stay at Hogwarts again. You don't mind do you?

I can speak Parseltongue by the way. How come you never told me? I found out in Dueling Club when Malfoy conjured a snake and I told it not to hurt Justin. Now the entire school thinks I'm the Heir of Slytherin. Ron and Hermione told me that Salazar Slytherin's special ability was to talk to snakes and thats the reason his house's symbol is one. The Hufflepuffs are terrified of me and to make matters worse, when I came out of the library I walked into a Petrified Justin and Nearly Headless Nick. Then Peeves saw me and started to sing a stupid rhyme.

McGonagall took me to Dumbledore's office. Then Hagrid barged in and told Dumbledore about how I wasn't the Heir of Slytherin and how I couldn't be because I'd been talking to Hagrid about a second before they'd found Justin and Nick. Dumbledore believes me though. That made me happy. Hagrid was also talking about someone killing all the school's roosters. Anyway, the whole school's worried now. The monster's scaring everyone. I mean what sort of monster could Petrify a ghost?

Love,

Harry

**Dear Harry,**

**Yes, you can stay for Christmas. Good luck with the potion, I hope it goes well. I never knew you could speak Parseltongue. It's not a very common gift. I also know Voldemort could speak Parseltongue.**

**Why are you so surprised that Dumbledore believes you? Of course he believes you! You wouldn't attack a bunch of students.**

**So this monster can Petrify a ghost? This situation has become horrible. You Grandma was telling me about the last time the Chamber was opened. A girl died. I hope it doesn't go that far this time. I know you want to solve this Harry, but please be careful. We don't want anyone to get hurt this time, like last year.**

**So some happy news now. The twins have started to crawl and they're bloody fast. Now they've become real menaces. They messed up your room yesterday. They literally turned it upside down. All the furniture was on the ceiling. But the portrait of the three of you was in still in the right place.**

**Keep us posted and good luck. Merry Christmas.**

**Love,**

**Dad, Mum, Grandma, Arya and Iris.**

Dear All,

The potion worked, but Malfoy ISN'T the heir and he doesn't know anything. But you should check out their cellar and basement. You'd find something in the Malfoy Mansion that might interest you and the other Aurors. Hermione had to go to the Hospital Wing because she put cat hair in her potion. She looks an absolute disaster and she even has a tail!

Ron and I went to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom after we'd visited Hermione and it was flooded again. I found a diary on the floor. Myrtle was crying because someone had chucked it at her head. It hadn't been written in. It only said Tom Marvolo Riddle at the back. Ron keeps telling me no to open it because it could be dangerous. I kept it for a while. I showed it to Hermione but she doesn't know anything about it or Tom Riddle either.

Valentine's Day was a pink nightmare. Lockhart decided we need to cheer up so he organized a Valentine's Day treat. He decorated the Great Hall with pink hearts and confetti. It looked disgusting. He also had these dwarves. They were supposed to be messenger Cupids. They were wearing gold wings, a pink costume and carrying harps and they were delivering singing Valentines to people.

Then I got trapped. The Valentine was the cheesiest thing I've ever heard: **His eyes as green as a fresh pickled toad, his hair as dark as a blackboard, I wish he was mine, he's really divine, Hero who conquered the Dark Lord.**

Please don't laugh. It was embarrassing!

Then I found out from Ron that Ginny hadn't written it. It was Fred and George! Horrible right?

When the dwarf cornered me, all my ink spilt over my books, but the diary was clean. So I decided to write in it. And it wrote back! It told me that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened before...by Hagrid. I don't want to believe it. I still don't believe it, but he was expelled for it right? I'm going to talk to him.

Arya and Iris have started to crawl? That's great. I think they like that portrait. I can't wait to see them again this summer. How was Uncle Remus' trip?

Love,

Harry.

**Dear Harry,**

**We don't believe that Hagrid opened it either. I think someone framed him. It probably did get him expelled most probably because all the evidence was against him. We're sorry to hear about Hermione's little incident. We hope she gets better soon. Go and talk to Hagrid about this, he trusts you so he'll tell you.**

**Moony got back yesterday, He found the herb, but it doesn't stop the problem, it just reduces the pain. It helps a bit though. He had only been gone for two weeks. We've filled him in of course and he found this Chamber stuff very interesting of course.**

**Sorry, but no can do. That Valentine was the cheesiest thing I've ever read. Fred and George are bloody brilliant!**

**Keep us updated.**

**Love,**

**Dad, Mum, Grandma, Moony, Iris and Arya. **

Dear All,

Nothing has happened. Everyone's being nice to me again. Fred and George are making a joke out of everything of course. Warding me off with garlic etc. I appreciate the fact that they're treating the rumor about me being the Heir of Slytherin as a joke.

We have to select the subjects we're going to take up next year. I have no clue what to take. Neville's got loads of letters from everyone in his family advising him on what to take. Now, he's just more confused than before.

Someone stole Riddle's diary from my trunk. I don't get it because only a Gryffindor could have gotten in because only the Gryffindors know our password. My bed was a mess. All the feathers were everywhere. I heard that weird voice before Quidditch and then Hermione said she understood something and shot off to the library. McGonagall came out on to the Quidditch Pitch and told us the match has been canceled-Wood was furious. But that's not the worst of it. The reason the match was

canceled was because Penelope Clearwater (the Ravenclaw Prefect) and Hermione had been Petrified. They were carrying a mirror.

Ron and I went down to Hagrid's last night. He was very nervous. Then Dumbledore arrived with the Minister of Magic so we hid in the corner under the invisibility cloak. Then Fudge said he wanted to arrest Hagrid and take him to Azkaban (just for a precaution). Once again that isn't the worst thing that happened. Lucius Malfoy knocked on the door. He said the governors wanted Dumbledore to be suspended from the school! Dumbledore's GONE and so has Hagrid. Before Hagrid left he told us to follow the spiders. Ron and I decided that there's no other way to get the information so we have no other choice. Even if it is very weird.

Love,

Harry.

**Dear Harry,**

**We know all about Dumbledore and Hagrid. Please be careful. Lucius Malfoy has to have something to do with this because it seems as though he had planned it. It's the worst time to get Dumbledore out of the school. He knows that the school is much safer with Dumbledore there. But he's always been a pureblood extremist.**

**Don't bother too much about Riddle's diary. Focus more on your studies. We're sorry to hear about Hermione. She'll be unpetrified soon hopefully.**

**The monster is supposed to help get rid of the muggleborns. The heir alone can control it. I don't know where the chamber is. Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail and I had searched for it, but we were never able to find it. Don't go looking for it!**

**Are you really going to listen to Hagrid? Isn't Ron afraid of spiders? Do we need to remind you of Norbert and Fluffy? Stay out of trouble please.**

**Love,**

**Dad, Mum, Grandma, Moony, Arya and Iris.**

Dear All,

We saw the spiders in Herbology so we followed them. Ron was scared stiff. We followed them into the Forbidden Forest. We saw Mr Weasley's car too. The forest has made it wild. We followed the spiders to their lair. We met their leader, Aragog. He's Hagrid's friend. Aragog was the monster Hagrid

kept when he was a bay in the castle. Hagrid used to take care of him. But Aragog isn't the monster from the chamber. This means Hagrid isn't guilty. Hagrid was framed.

They were going to kill us but then Mr Weasley's car appeared out of no where and saved us. Fang who we had taken along with us, mainly for protection and as a guide, started to howl. It was pretty clear that he didn't like the spiders as much as Hagrid did. The car took us back to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. We found out something else too. The girl, she'd died in the bathroom. It finally struck us-Moaning Myrtle.

Before we could make our way to Myrtle, McGonagall announced that the mandrakes are ready and the people who have been Petrified will be revived tonight. Ginny came to see us, she told us something was up. She was rocking back and forth and she looked really pale. Then Percy came and made her move because he wanted breakfast. He said that Ginny was going to tell them something that wasn't really important because he knew already. But I'm not sure if Percy was right. Ginny looked really bad. We're going to visit Hermione now and then we'll head to Myrtle's.

Love,

Harry.

* * *

Harry gripped his wand tighter as he made his way to the door to enter the Chamber. His eyes widened as he heard muffled screams when he was near it. The door to the entrance had three silver snakes engraved on it. They each had two green eyes and a red tongue.

"_Open_," Harry whispered. He gulped as the door opened. This was it. He was going in.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. **

**~Please Review~**

** CM x**


	10. Chapter 10:The Chamber of Secrets

**A/N: Chapter 10! Yay! Sorry about the slight delay. My laptop's keyboard broke but on the bright side.....I got a new one and we have our half-term holidays now...so I'll get on with Chapter 11 ASAP. Read and Review.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

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* * *

  
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_Recap_

_Harry gripped his wand tighter as he made his way to the door to enter the chamber. His eyes widened as he heard muffled screams when he was near it. The door to the entrance had three silver snakes engraved on it. The each had two green eyes and a red tongue._

"Open_," Harry whispered. He gulped as the door opened. This was it. He was going in._

_

* * *

_

Harry stepped into the room. It was dirty and had water all over the floor. The walls were a dull green and had moss growing in places. His eyes fell on a body that was lying at the end of the narrow platform. He ran towards the body and gasped. Ginny Weasley was lying on the floor, he hair was matted and sprawled over the cold, wet floor. She held the diary in her hands. Harry knelt down beside her. Her body was paler than usual and stone cold.

"C'mon Ginny wake up! Ginny, wake up. You can't be dead! Wake up!" Harry started to shake her gently.

"She won't wake," a voice said.

Harry turned, "Tom? Tom Riddle? What do you mean she won't wake? Don't tell me she's-"

"Oh no. She isn't dead. Not yet at least. I suppose she deserves it anyway." Tom replied.

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Deserves it? She didn't even do anything!" Harry retorted.

"Ah, but that's what you think. Don't you know how this happened to her?" Tom asked, twirling a wand in his hand.

"No," Harry replied. He looked at the wand in Tom's hand and then looked at the floor, "Give me my wand back! I might need it!"

"You won't need it yet. If you do, I'll let you know," Tom's lips curled into a sneering smile.

"Let me know?" Harry asked incredulously, " If the Basilisk comes then I won't be able to defend myself!"

"It won't come until it's called. Anyway the longer you talk, the longer you stay alive," Tom said.

Harry glared at Tom, "Why is Ginny here?"

"Well, that is no one's fault but her own. Miss Weasley opened her heart and told all of her to an invisible stranger..." Tom began.

Harry's eyes widened in understanding, "The diary?"

"That's right Potter. The diary, or to be more specific _my _diary. Ginny Weasley has been writing in this diary all year. She told me everything. How her brothers tease her, and how she hates being the youngest in the family, how she's always invisible and most importantly how she didn't think that the famous Harry Potter would ever like her..." Tom continued, smiling mockingly.

"As you can imagine, it was very _boring_, listening to the woes and complaints of an eleven year old _girl_. But I was sympathetic and patient. I responded to Ginny, by telling her not to worry and that everything will be alright. She was simply delighted. _Oh I've never met someone who understands me so much! It's like having a pocket size friend..."_

Riddle laughed, "I've always been very good at manipulation. One of my many talents. As Ginny poured her soul into me, I grew stronger. Her soul is exactly what I wanted. All of her fear, her deepest and darkest secrets. I became more powerful, more powerful than little Miss Weasley and was able to start pouring some of my soul into _her..."_

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"Haven't you guessed yet Harry? Ginny Weasley opened the Chamber of Secrets. She wrote the deathly messages on the walls, strangled the school roosters and set the Basilisk on the four Mudbloods and the squib's cat," Riddle explained softly.

"No!" Harry shook his head.

"Oh yes Harry. She didn't know at first, but she began to suspect me. Of course, the diary entries became more and more interesting. _Dear Tom_," Riddle began to recite, "_I think I'm losing my memory. I can't remember where I was before and now I've got rooster feathers all over my clothes and I don't know how they got there...Dear Tom, Filch's cat was attacked on Hallowe'en and I've red paint on my robes and I don't know how it got there...Dear Tom, Percy keeps telling me that I'm pale. He's forcing me to take the Pepper-Up Potion, but it isn't helping. I think he suspects me...Dear Tom, There was another attack today and I forgot where I went again...Dear Tom, Something's wrong with me! I think...I think I'm the one attacking everyone Tom! _It took Ginny ages to stop trusting the diary and she tried to dispose of it. And _that_ is where _you_ came in Harry. Finally! You were the person I wanted to meet most of all! "

"Me? Why did you want to meet me?" Harry asked.

"Well, Ginny had told me all about your _fascinating_ history. I wanted to find out more about you, so I decided to show you my famous capture of the oaf, Hagrid, to gain your trust." Tom replied, sneering.

"Hagrid is my friend and you framed him!" Harry exclaimed hotly.

"It was my word against Hagrid's! Who would want to believe _him_? You can imagine what it looked like to our Headmaster, Armando Dippet. On one hand, Tom Riddle poor but so talented, parentless but so brave, a school Prefect and a model student. _I_ was a favourite. On the other hand, Hagrid, who happened to be in trouble almost every week, sneaking off to the Forbidden Forest to wrestle trolls or see the Hippogriffs. I have to admit I didn't think the plan would work so well! I thought someone had to have the brains to realize that it Hagrid couldn't have opened the Chamber of Secrets. After all it had taken me five years to find out anything and everything about the Chamber and discover the entrance. As if Hagrid could have had the power or the skill! Only Dumbledore, who was the Transfiguration teacher at that time, suspected me. He convinced Dippet to let Hagrid stay on at Hogwarts as the gamekeeper. He was the only teacher who didn't like me..."

"I bet Dumbledore saw right through your innocent act," Harry said.

"Well he did keep an eye on me afterwards. He didn't trust me. But I knew I couldn't risk opening the Chamber again, at least not whilst I was in school, since Hagrid had been expelled. But I wasn't going to waste five years of my hard work so I decided to preserve myself in this diary. A token of gratitude from Headmaster Dippet for catching the Heir of Slytherin. This way one day, someone would be able to continue the work that my noble ancestor Salazar Slytherin started."

"Well you haven't finished it have you Tom? No one died this time! No one, not even Mrs Norris. The people you've Petrified won't stay like that for much longer either. The Mandrake Draught is almost ready and they were going to be revived tonight." Harry said.

"Haven't I told you? Petrifying Mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore. For months, my new target has been no one but _you_!" Riddle said.

"I was very angry when I found out that Ginny had gotten the diary back from you. You see she had seen you with the diary and had gotten worried. I could have told her everything. That she liked you and that she though she was attacking everyone. It was very clear to me that you were on the trail of the Heir of Slytherin. So I knew what I had to do. I made Ginny write her own goodbye on the wall and come down here to wait for you. It's very tedious having to listen to the cries of a young girl, but I think she was drained, she barely had any energy left in her. She fainted. All of her energy was given to me and I became strong enough to leave the diary's pages and transform into my sixteen year-old self once again." Riddle's laugh echoed in the room, "All I had to do was wait. It didn't take you very long to figure it out Potter. In fact I was rather impressed. It only took you a year but then you had a lot of help, from the Mudblood-what's her name? Hermione Granger. Ginny was jealous of her. It was quite amusing actually. But now of course I have many questions for you."

"Why are _you_ so interested in _me_?" Harry asked.

"How is it that a baby was able to hoodwink the world's greatest wizard? How was it that you escaped Lord Voldemort's wrath with nothing but a lightning bolt shaped scar?" Riddle questioned, "How did you escape and drain the Dark Lord's powers?"

"Why do you care? I'm sure Voldemort was after your time," Harry said.

"Oh no Harry. Voldemort is my past, my present and my future," Riddle raised Harry's wand and began to write in the air; TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE. Then he waved the wand again and the letters rearranged themselves. I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.

Harry gasped.

"See? I was sick of using my muggle father's name. I had already started to use it at Hogwarts, only amongst my most trusted followers of course. Do you really believe that I, Lord Voldemort would use my muggle father's name when the noble blood of Salazar runs through my veins? I, keep the name of a man who abandoned his wife and unborn child because he found out that she's a witch? No. I made myself a new name that I knew one day many people would fear, a name that no one would dare say, a name that would be recognized as something that belonged to the greatest wizard in the world." Riddle explained.

Harry clenched his fists, "Well you're not the greatest wizard in the world. Dumbledore is!"

"_Dumbledore_ was driven out of this school by a memory of me!" Riddle replied, annoyed.

"He will have truly left the school when none remain faithful to him and I'm sorry to disappoint you but that isn't going to happen." Harry retorted.

Riddle opened his mouth to say something but froze as he heard music coming from the other side of the wall. A second later, Harry saw an outline of a bird. The music got louder and louder until the bird landed at Harry's feet.

"Fawkes?" Harry asked, remembering him from his visit to Dumbledore's office.

The crimson bird was carrying something in his beak, he dropped it on the floor before perching himself on on Harry's shoulder.

"That's a phoenix," Riddle said pointing to the bird. He pointed to the ragged thing on the floor and said, "And that's the school's Sorting hat!"

Harry looked at the hat. It lay patched, frayed and dirty on the wet floor.

"So this, this is what Dumbledore sends his defender. A bird and the school's Sorting hat. Tell me Harry, how do you feel? Scared?" Riddle laughed mockingly.

Harry didn't answer.

"To business then. How did you escape from Lord Voldemort's killing curse?" Riddle asked.

"Why should I tell you?" Harry asked.

"Well, like I said before, the longer you talk, the longer you stay alive." Riddle replied.

"Well no one knows exactly why you lost your powers when you attacked me. But I do know why I survived. My mother saved me. She meant to die for me but she just fainted. She stopped you killing me. And I've seen the _real_ you too! You're a wreck. You're half dead. You're weak, so I guess you're power didn't do you too much good. " Harry explained, remembering what Dumbledore had told him last year.

Riddle snorted. "I see what saved you now. Love? Oh that's an ancient magic. Funny I didn't see it coming. But then your mother was quite a powerful witch from what I remember. She had thwarted me three times already when I came to visit you that night. But there isn't much special about you. I always thought that there might be something similar between us. There is as far as I can see. You used to live with Muggles. I lived with them until I got the chance to come here. We're both half-bloods and we're probably the only Parselmouths to enter Hogwarts beside Slytherin himself! We even look similar. But no. There's nothing special about you. It was just luck and your mother's _love _that saved you. Well that's all I really wanted to know."

Harry waited, for Riddle to cast a spell on him, but he didn't. Tom Riddle had thoughtful expression on his face that slowly changed to a twisted smile and a rather malicious glint in his hollow eyes.

"Now Harry, I am going to teach you a lesson. Lets see how the the powers of Lord Voldemort, heir of Salazar Slytherin match the powers of the great Harry Potter and the best weapons Dumbledore can provide," Riddle turned.

Harry gulped. There wasn't much he could do now. His eyes widened as he heard Riddle say the words. They were in Parseltonque but Harry didn't have to think of like a snake to understand them, "_Speak to me Slytherin, greatest of Hogwarts four,"_

"Parseltongue won't save you now Harry. The Basilisk only listens to _me_,"

Fear paralysed Harry as he watched the stone boulder move. He squared his shoulders and looked determinedly at Ginny on the floor. Whatever happened, he wasn't going back without saving Ginny first.

* * *

Tears ran down Ginny cheeks as Harry, Ron and Lockhart stood outside Professor McGonagall's office. Harry glanced at her and gave her a reassuring smile.

"It'll be alright. You'll see," Harry told her.

Ginny nodded. But that didn't stop the tears.

"Really Ginny. Whatever happened...i-it wasn't your fault. They can't expel you," Ron re-assured her and gave her an one armed hug.

They stepped into McGonagall's office. Harry was covered in blood, dust and sweat. His robes were ripped and torn. He was holding a bloody sword in one hand, the diary and Sorting Hat in his other. Ron and Lockhart stood beside him and they watched Mrs Weasley run over to Ginny and engulf her in a tight hug. Mr Weasley followed, hugging Ron and the Potters' joined them, Lily carrying Arya and Dorea carrying Iris. James was shaking his head and Lily had a half-angry half-worried expression on her face.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER! You are going to get the punishment that will make you feel as though what happened in the Chamber was a walk in the park! I'm just trying to think which ones to choose...or maybe I should put them all together!" Lily shouted. A second later she had grabbed him pulled him in for a hug.

"Lily! Calm down! What happened Harry?" James asked.

Harry opened his mouth to speak but he turned when he heard Ginny, "It was me! It's all my fault!"

"What do you mean Ginny?" Mr Weasley asked, confused.

Harry took a deep breath and began to explain. He told them about hearing the voices in the walls and how no one else had heard it. How he found out that he was a Parselmouth and how everyone though he was the Heir of Slytherin. He told them about how he had helped Ron and Hermione make the Polyjuice Potion so that they could find out if Malfoy was the Heir or if he knew anything. How he found the diary and found out about Tom Riddle and how Riddle showed him the false memory of Hagrid being guilty the first time. How the diary was then stolen. He told them about how he followed the spiders with Ron and how they had learned from Aragog that Hagrid was innocent and that the girl had died in a bathroom. He spoke about finding a clump of scrunched up paper in Hermione's hand when they had gone to visit her and how it told them about the monster from the chamber. A Basilisk. How spiders flee from it and how it gets killed by the crooning of a rooster and uses the pipes to get around the castle. And they realised that that was why Harry could hear the voice in the walls. Then Harry told them about how they were about to go to Moaning Myrtle when they heard Professor McGonagall's announcement. The adults listened, astounded by the trio's courage. Harry proceeded to tell them about how he and Ron had dragged Lockhart into Myrtle's bathroom. Then he told them that they had learned about how she had died and how he had opened the chamber.

Harry paused for another deep breath. He glanced briefly at Ginny, before he told them about meeting Tom Riddle, killing the Basilisk and saving Ginny. He tried to leave Ginny out as much as possible because he didn't want her to be expelled. It wasn't her fault after all.

"What I want to know is how Voldemort came here? My sources tell me that he's in a forest in Albania." Dumbledore said.

The adults sighed in relief. "He appeared through this diary Sir," Harry said.

"How?" Remus asked, still puzzled.

"It was me. I've been writing in this diary, for most of this year." Ginny sniffed.

"Ginny!" Mrs Weasley exclaimed.

"Haven't I told you not to trust anything that doesn't show it's brains?" Mr Weasley asked, kneeling down and pulling is daughter in for a hug.

Ginny nodded, "I...I d-didn't know. It was in my Transfiguration book. I though s-someone like Percy h-had left it there. So I used i-it and h-he was really kind to me. I'm s-sorry,"

"It's alright Honey Bee. Don't worry," Mr Weasley kissed Ginny's forehead.

Ginny shook her head, "I'm going to be expelled!"

"No you won't dear. Witches who were not only older but wiser and more experienced have been hoodwinked by Voldemort. Why don't you go down to the Hospital Wing with your parents and ask Madam Pomfrey for a nice cup of hot chocolate? I find that always cheers me up." Dumbledore suggested.

Mr and Mrs Weasley gave both Harry and Ron a hug before they left, thanking them for saving Ginny.

Once they had left, Dumbledore turned to Ron and Harry.

"We had warned you at the beginning of the year that if you break anymore rules, you'll be expelled," Dumbledore began.

Ron and Harry gulped.

"Well that goes to show, anyone can be proven wrong. You will each receive 200 points for Gryffindor. You will also be awarded with an award for special services to the school." Dumbledore continued.

Harry and Ron smiled.

"Why so quiet Gilderoy?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry jumped. He had completely forgotten about Lockhart. He smiled grimly as he explained that Lockhart's spell had backfired.

"Now Mr Weasley. Would you mind taking Gilderoy to the Hospital Wing and sending a note to Azkaban? We need our gamekeeper back," Dumbledore requested.

Ron nodded and left.

Dumbledore motioned for Harry and his family to sit down. "First of all, Harry, I would like to thank you for what you did in that chamber and the great loyalty that you have shown me. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes down to you. Now what do you have on your mind that has been troubling you?"

Harry twisted his hands together as he fidgeted in his chair, "Riddle...He said that we're alike. Me and him. I can speak Parseltongue and the Sorting Hat said I'd do well in Slytherin,"

Arya gurgled. Dumbledore smiled. "Yes. You and Tom do have quite a lot of similarities. You are both smart and have a certain talent for breaking the rules, and yes, you can both speak Parseltongue. I believe this is because when Lord Voldemort attacked you that night, he unknowingly and unintentionally transferred some of his powers to you."

Harry frowned, "So I should have been in Slytherin then?"

"No, Harry. Do you know why the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, because I asked it to," Harry replied.

"Precisely. It is our choices not are abilities that dictate who we are. That is what makes you different from Tom Riddle. If you need further proof, I suggest you take a closer look at the sword," Dumbledore pointed to the bloody sword that lay on the desk.

Harry picked it up carefully and mouthed the words that were engraved on to it; Godric Gryffindor.

"Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the Sorting Hat," Dumbledore stated.

"So Harry doesn't have anything to worry about then?" Lily asked.

"No--" Dumbledore was interrupted as the office door opened suddenly. Lucius Malfoy entered, with a house-elf, one that looked so familiar that...

"Dobby!" Harry whispered.

"You're back?" Malfoy asked.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied pleasantly.

"You had been suspended by the governors!" Malfoy spat.

"Well Lucius, as funny as it is, I got a few letters from the other governors and found out that they had thought that you would curse their families if the letter wasn't signed and now that a girl had been taken down into the Chamber, well I don't like to brag, but they seemed to think I was the best man for it," Dumbledore told him.

Lucius Malfoy glared at Dumbledore, he glanced around the room and noticing Harry he nodded, "So I presume the culprit has been caught?"

"Oh yes," Dumbledore answered.

"Well, who was it?" Malfoy asked impatiently.

"The same person as last time. But this time Lord Voldemort managed to get someone else to do his dirty work. He enchanted Ginny Weasley through this diary. No one knows how he did it of course. But we're lucky young Harry and his friend Ron are so perceptive, otherwise, he could have returned."

"Indeed? Well how lucky! Lets hope they're always here to save the day then,"

"Don't worry, we will be," Harry retorted. His eyes were on Dobby, who was currently pointing to the dairy and then to Mr Malfoy and hitting himself on the head. Finally Harry understood.

"Do you know how Ginny Weasley got the diary Mr Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"How should I know how the beastly little girl got it?" Mr Malfoy.

"Would you like to know what I think Mr Malfoy? I think that it was you. You put the diary in Ginny's cauldron that day in Flourish and Blotts." Harry said.

James and Remus grinned.

"Prove it!" Mr Malfoy mocked.

"He doesn't need to. You will make sure that none of Lord Voldemort's old possessions make their way into the hands of any of my students again. Is that clear?" Dumbledore asked.

Lucius Malfoy snorted and turned on his heel, dragging Dobby out of the door with him.

"Well done Harry!" James exclaimed.

Harry smiled. But he hadn't finished yet. "Sir, can I have that diary please?"

Dumbledore smiled and nodded.

Harry grinned and thanked Dumbledore. He took of one of his shoes and pulled off a sock, he then hurriedly put his shoe back on, and shot out the door, causing everyone to look at each other with half amused, half bewildered expressions.

Harry shoved the diary into the sock and ran after Lucius Malfoy. "Mr Malfoy! You forgot something!" Harry exclaimed.

"What?" Mr Malfoy asked as Harry handed him the diary. Glaring, he pulled of the sock and threw it, "One of these days, the Dark Lord will return and you'll pay! Come on Dobby,"

Dobby shook his head, "Master has given Dobby a sock. Master has presented Dobby with clothes! Dobby is free!"

"I didn't give you the bloody sock!" Mr Malfoy turned to face Harry, "You just lost me my servant!" He took out his wand and was about to curse him when Lily and James stepped in front of him.

"If you want the full capability of your arms and legs, I suggest you stay away from my son." Lily snarled. James nodded, his wand pointing at Mr Malfoy.

Mr Malfoy left, glaring at Lily and Harry.

Dobby grinned and bounded forward, hugging Harry around his middle, "Harry Potter freed Dobby! What can Dobby ever do to repay him?"

"Just promise me one thing Dobby," Harry paused, smiling as Dobby nodded, "Promise never to try to save my life again."

Dobby grinned sheepishly and disappeared with a _crack!_

Lily laughed, "C'mon now, let's get you to the Hospital Wing,"

"But Mum--" Harry began.

"Don't you but Mum me Mr! Come on, I want to make sure there's nothing wrong with you," Lily replied.

"Ok," Harry sighed in defeat.

"That's right. We're very proud of you of course. Ginny is definitely lucky that she has two people who care for her so much. You'll want to make sure she doesn't blame herself though," Lily said, as they walked down the Grand Staircase.

"So I'm not in trouble then?" Harry asked hopefully, remembering his mother's threat.

"Oh you're in trouble. You're grounded for two weeks. But we're still proud of you." Lily replied.

"Ah well. It was worth a try." Harry sighed.

"Get used to it Harry. A Marauder has to face the consequences for his actions. I don't remember a time in any of my summer holidays when I wasn't grounded," James said.

The Potters laughed. They entered the Hospital Wing and Dorea grinned as Madam Pomfrey saw Harry, "Harry! What have you done to yourself this time?"

Harry smiled. He and Madam Pomfrey knew each other quite well now, "Nothing, Ma'am. I just need a check up,"

The nurse nodded, glanced at James and muttered something about them being like father, like son.

* * *

The feast was amazing. Harry and Ron's success had caused Gryffindor to win the House Cup for the second time. The train ride was funny. Ginny had told them that she had caught Percy kissing his new girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, the Ravenclaw Prefect.

When they arrived at the Platform, Harry waved goodbye to his friends after promising to write and made his way to his parents. Two down, five to go.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you liked that chapter. **

**Please review.**

**Happy Valentines Day!**

**CM x**


	11. Chapter 11:Warnings, Birthday and DADA

**A/N: Sorry! I'm sorry! Before you all kill me, let me apologise...this has been the hardest chapter I've written until now because of the H & G interaction that everyone wanted and their conversation had to be perfect and I wrote it once and then I re-wrote it again. Lame excuse I know. Anyhoo, enjoy the chapter!!**

Chapter 11: Warnings,Birthday and DADA

Harry grinned at Iris who was sucking on her thumb. He couldn't believe the twins were one already and that they could talk. His holidays had been enjoyable so far. Although his parents had grounded him for two weeks, they had taken him to Greece. He had post practically every other day from Hermione, Neville and Ron and was more then happy to send letters back. He told them all about Greece and the mansion he was living. James had told him that his great-great grandfather, Adam liked to live in luxury and that he built many houses to go to on holiday.

As happy as Harry was he couldn't evade the fact that Tom Riddle visited him every night in his sleep. He also knew that that was the reason his parents had taken him on holiday in the first place. Every night he had dreams about the Chamber, featuring the Basilisk and an almost dead Ginny. They always ended in a flash of green light and the letters 'I AM LORD VOLDEMORT'.

Harry hadn't told his parents about these dreams. But Lily and James knew. They could hear Harry trashing about in his sleep, moaning and screaming and they had to go there to check whether he was alright or not. Harry didn't know that though. But he did know that his parents weren't happy with the fact that he had come face to face with Voldemort twice in his first two years at Hogwarts.

Harry shook his head to clear the thoughts as he picked Iris up and headed to the kitchen.

"Harry?" Lily called.

"Yeah Mum, I'm coming," Harry replied as he entered the kitchen.

"Sit down Squirt we need to talk," James said.

Harry raised his eyebrows at the nickname, but was worried as he heard the tone of seriousness in his father's voice. James handed Harry the paper and took Iris from his arms as Arya said 'Hawy.'

Harry's eyes widened as he read:

Mass-murderer Sirius Black escapes Azkaban from Prison.

_Mass murderer Sirius Black (31), escaped from Azkaban Prison sometime last night. The Ministry of Magic are puzzled as to how he did it as no one has escaped the well-guarded fortress before. _

_Black was imprisoned twelve years ago. He murdered Peter Pettigrew in the middle of a crowded street with one curse, leaving Pettigrew's finger. _

_The story of The Boy Who Lived is well known but not many people know the reason behind the attempted murders of the Potters. Black was the Secret Keeper for Lily and James Potter, but they did not know that he was in fact in the league with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. We have reason to believe that deceived the Potters and led You-Know-Who to them._

_A flustered Cornelius Fudge has announced that special security measures are to be put in place, 'The Ministry of Magic is doing all it can to re-capture Black. But the Wizarding Community must remain calm. We do not know Black's intentions yet and we are working as hard as we can to find out,'_

_The Minister of Magic has also informed the Muggle Prime Minister. The Muggles have been told that Black is known to carry a gun (a type of metal wand that Muggles use to cause critical injuries or death) and is an extremely dangerous mad man. If anyone sees him please contact the Magical Law Enforcement Squad immediately._

Harry put the paper down. "I thought Pettigrew was the Secret Keeper?"

Lily nodded, "He was but Sirius was the only one who knew that we had switched. Sirius led Voldemort to Peter. Peter wasn't ever the strong minded person, so he probably told Voldemort because he was scared. Well, at that time people thought that James and I had died, so Sirius went to prison believing that we were both dead,"

James took Lily's hand in his and gave it a re-assuring squeeze, " Black is dangerous. He tricked us and we'd known him for ages. He did something so terrible that none of us have forgiven him. It's his fault that we almost died. He fooled the people who'd known him the longest. When we found out, none of us wanted to believe he betrayed us, but we haven't visited him ever. But he has escaped and that puts you in danger,"

"What do you mean? You don't think he's coming after me do you?" Harry asked.

"Yes we do. Fudge said that the Dementors reported him repeating 'He's at Hogwarts' in his sleep. He believes that if he kills you it'll help Voldemort return," Lily replied, blinking back tears.

"He's crazy Harry. Azkaban makes you mental," Dorea said.

Harry chewed his lip. He wanted to argue, but seeing that his Mum was on the verge of tears, he nodded.

Lily and Dorea sighed with relief. "Thank you Harry. Don't go out of the estate please," Lily said.

"I'll be careful,"

James hugged Harry before he left for work, "Alright Squirt, I'm leaving for work now. Happy Birthday Kiddo. We'll open your presents when I get back ok?"

Harry smiled, "Sure Dad,"

James hugged Dorea, cuddled the twins and pecked Lily quickly on the lips before waving and going out.

"Is he really that bad?" Harry asked.

"Yes Harry, he fooled everyone. James, Lily, me, Dumbledore and if he can do that, he's dangerous." Remus replied.

"Oh. Well then I won't go out on my own then,"

"That's my boy," Lily smiled, "Here, some post arrived for you this morning. Happy Birthday. "

Harry grinned taking the stack of letters from his Mum, "Thanks," He hugged his Mum and Grandma before they left the room. Remus smiled at Harry, "Happy Birthday Kiddo," He said before he left the room to go to the library.

He opened the first one, still grinning wildly, he recognized the handwriting as Ron's.

Hi Harry!

Guess what? Dad won two hundred Galleons in a random draw at the Ministry. Can you believe it? My dad? Two hundred Galleons? We were all really surprised so we decided to visit Bill in Egypt. He's a curse breaker for Gringotts. I think I've told you before? We even got our picture in the Daily Prophet. We visited these ancient tombs as well that belong to the Egyptian Kings. They're really weird because they're these strange pyramids. According to Bill, they're supposed to be really famous in the Muggle world.

Anyway, the stuff inside the tombs is amazing! Mum wouldn't let Ginny go into most of them because they were diabolical (I learnt a new word!). But thanks to Fred, Bill George and me she knows everything.

We got home yesterday. Reply soon.

Ron

Harry smiled as he saw the cut out from the Daily Prophet. The Weasleys were grinning at the camera. Even Scabbers was there. Ginny also had a smile on her face. Harry wondered how she was and whether she was having nightmares too. He also remembered that his Mum wanted him to talk to her and made a note to himself to talk to her and ensure she knew that it wasn't her fault. He put the picture down and lifted the parcel that had come with the letter. He opened it to find a strange gadget. He saw another letter that was stuck to the bottom of it.

Happy Birthday Harry!

This is a Sneakoscope. It's supposed to warn you when there's something dangerous near you. Bill said it's a cheap useless thing when it started going off at dinner, but he didn't realize Fred and George had put bugs in his soup.

Ron

Harry laughed as he put the letter and the present down. He opened the next one .

Dear Harry,

Happy Birthday! I just came back from a holiday in France. It was amazing and very educational. I went to museums and lots of exhibitions to pass the time as my parents had a few meetings to attend. Have you done the essay Professor Binns set us on witch burning? Well, there was some local history about it and I included it in my essay and now it's longer than Professor Binns asked for. I hope he doesn't mind.

Did you see the picture of Ron and his family in Egypt? He's so lucky! The Ancient Egyptians were amazing. I remember learning about them in Primary School. They had a fascinating way to bury their dead, especially if they were wealthy. They called it mummification. I would love to visit Egypt one day.

Anyway, I saw this in an advertisement in the Daily Prophet and I thought you would enjoy it. I hope you like it.

Love,

Hermione.

Harry took the parcel. It was quite heavy, He opened it, his eyes wide as they took in the present.

"Whoa!" He mumbled. Hermione had given him a Broomstick Servicing Kit. The box was a copper colour with a see-through plastic lid. Harry opened it and his fingers ran over the compass and bottles of polish with a dazed expression on his face. He smiled as he put the present down and picked up the next letter.

Hello Harry,

Happy Birthday! It's kind of cool that our birthdays are so close and it's cool that I'm still older. I hope you're having a great holiday so far. I am kind of. My Grandma was happy with my results so she took me to Kew Gardens. It's in the Muggle world. It's amazing. It's a Royal Botanic Garden. It was no way near as amazing as the plants Professor Sprout shows us in Herbology, but it was cool. I hope you like your present.

Neville

Harry grinned as he put the letter down and opened his present. Neville had got him a book about the bizarre world of plants and a new coffee mug.

Dear Harry,

Happy Birthday. I wanted to thank you for clearing my name. If you three hadn't done it well I wouldn't have this opportunity. I hope you like your present. I hope you like it and even if you don't, don't throw it away, you'll need it this year.

Hagrid

Harry shrugged his shoulders as he opened the package and then jumped as the book tried to bite him. "What the--?" Harry began but then jumped on a chair and dropped the book as it tried to attack him again. The book went under the table and in a few minutes it came put, it's jaws snapping as it slid out in a rush. Harry jumped down and landed on it. The book groaned. Harry called Daisy who looked at him, puzzled.

"Harry what is you standing on a book for?" Daisy asked.

"It tried to attack me. Daisy, can you get me a rope or something?" Harry asked.

Daisy nodded and hurried out of the room. Sh came back a few minutes later carrying a rope. Harry smiled and thanked her as he bound the book with the rope and set it down on the table.

"Who was that from?" Daisy questioned.

"Hagrid. Only Hagrid would send me that. Why would I need _The Monster Book of Monsters_? Why would anyone want a biting book?" Harry shook his head.

Daisy smiled, "I doesn't know Sir,"

"Ah well, thanks Daisy," Harry said as he got up.

Harry piled all of his presents into his hands before climbing up the stairs shaking his head. Only Hagrid.

* * *

Harry smiled at Arya and Iris as their eyes widened as the Potters entered Diagon Alley. They walked over to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and Harry sighed as he heard his best friends bicker back and forth.

"Wow! They're at it again! Already!" Harry exclaimed.

Lily laughed, "James and I used to argue continuously, and we ended up married,"

Harry looked from Ron to Hermione, who were oblivious to their audience, "Nah. I can't see that happening,"

Harry moved closer to listen to what they were saying.

"Get the Rhubarb ice cream Hermione! I'm telling you it's nice!" Ron advised.

"Honestly Ronald! How many times do I have to tell you? I do not want Rhubarb ice cream, I want a vanilla!" Hermione replied, rolling her eyes.

"Well fine then, be boring," Ron retorted.

"What's that supposed to--" Hermione began.

"Guys! Come on! You're fighting over ice cream flavors now?" Harry interrupted.

Hermione let out a squeal and threw her arms around Harry's neck, "Harry!"

Ron grinned, "'Sup mate?"

"Nothing much. Why don't you two get them ice cream flavors you want and stop arguing? It's driving me insane!" Harry exclaimed.

Ron smiled sheepishly.

"Hello Mrs Potter!" Hermione exclaimed and giggled as both Lily and Dorea greeted her at the same time.

"Oh dear! Call me by my first name sweetie! Mrs Potter makes me feel so old!" Dorea replied.

"I second that! Call me Lily," Lily said as she handed Iris to Hermione.

"C'mon, lets go to Madam Malkin's. I swear you kids grow like beanstalks!" Dorea said.

Harry smiled they began to walk to Madam Malkin's. His smile wavered as he saw a large black dog coming out of an alleyway. He was just about to point him out to Ron and Hermione but the dog suddenly turned and hurried back. James noticed his son's puzzled expression and turned to look at the alleyway.

"What are you looking at Harry?" James asked.

"Huh? I...Nothing. I just thought I saw something," Harry replied.

James gave Harry a worried look as they stepped into Madam Malkin's. They finished their shopping and went to Quality Quidditch Supplies and thats when Harry saw it.

"Wow!" Harry breathed as he pressed his face against the window to see the Firebolt.

"It's beautiful!" Ron moaned.

"I bet it just glides through the air!" James exclaimed.

Lily rolled her eyes and Hermione groaned as she and Dorea exchanged an exasperated glance. "It's just a broom! I don't see any difference," Hermione said.

"Don't see any difference? Hermione are you blind?" Ron asked clearly agitated by Hermione's lack of appreciation, "It's not just any old broomstick! It's the best broomstick in the world!"

"That's right! And every single Quidditch team is going to be flying on one of these babies by the end of the summer!" James added.

"Whoa!: Harry exclaimed, still gazing at the Firebolt.

Lily just shook her head smiling as Arya and Iris imitated her. "C'mon boys, lets go," Lily ordered.

"Yeah. We have to meet up with your parents in five minutes Ronald. And I'm sure they won't appreciate our lateness! Let's go," Hermione said as she gripped Ron's cloak and started dragging him towards the direction of the Leaky Cauldron.

Harry and James grinned as they followed. They'd just seen the fastest racing broom in the world.

"Ouch! Hermione, stop dragging me!" Ron complained.

"Well what do you expect Ronald? You were acting as though you had never seen a broom before!" Hermione retorted as she let go of him.

"I have seen brooms before--" Ron started and Harry groaned,.

"Here they go again!" Harry said and Lily laughed.

The group entered the Leaky Cauldron and were greeted by the other Weasleys. They pushed three tables together and they sat down. Harry found himself sitting in between Lily and Ginny. James was sitting next to Mr Weasley. Harry ate his lunch as he chatted with everyone.

He turned to talk to Ginny who was very quiet. She didn't seem to be very shy about being near him anymore because she was alright sitting next to him. She seemed more depressed than anything.

"Hi Ginny," Harry smiled.

Ginny's eyes widened. She hadn't expected him to talk to her ever again. She had almost gotten him killed only two months ago. "I'm...umm....alright thanks. I'm really sorry Harry,"

"What for?" Harry asked.

"For almost getting you killed," Ginny replied.

"No you didn't. Ginny, Voldemort tricked you into doing something. You didn't even know what was going on. He made you trust him and that isn't you're fault. I came down there with Ron to save you because you're my best friend's sister and I'd do it again a hundred times if I had to," Harry said.

Ginny gave him a small smile, "But Harry, I could have gotten rid of Tom. I just...didn't,"

Harry sighed and took Ginny's hand in his, " He tricked you. He possessed you. He took advantage of the fact that you didn't know what to do in the situation you were in. He toyed with your emotions. But you didn't know. It isn't your fault and you shouldn't be blaming yourself okay?"

Ginny nodded.

Harry smiled, "Ginny I was wondering, have you been having nightmares about the chamber?"

Ginny stiffened as the memories of her nightmares came back.

_~Flashback~ (Ginny's memory of her nightmare-3rd Person)_

_Tom grinned as he ripped Ginny's cloak off and ran his fingers up and down her arm. She shivered._

"_Do you know the amount of damage you have created?" Tom asked._

_Ginny gulped._

"_You're leading Harry Potter to his death. Tell me Ginny how does it feel? Knowing that you've played a part in the plot to rid Hogwarts of Mudbloods and the one to kill Harry Potter?" Tom asked._

_Ginny bit her lip as she swallowed the lump in her throat, "He won't come to get me!"_

"_That's right. He doesn't care about you. Such a pity, you are rather attractive you know?" Tom asked, his bottom lip curling into a menacing grin._

_Ginny didn't answer._

"_Well you filthy little brat. I'm going to teach you a lesson.," Tom said before he let go of Ginny and pushed her on to the floor. _

_Ginny whimpered as her head hit the hard floor. _

"_Crucio!" Tom murmured, pointing the wand at Ginny._

_Ginny let out a blood curling scream and then everything went black._

_~End of Flashback~_

Harry waved his hand in front of Ginny's face, "Ginny?"

Ginny blinked and gasped, "I'm sorry!"

"It's ok Ginny. What happened?" Harry asked.

"I-I just remembered my nightmare. I can escape him during the day but Tom comes back to haunt me at night," Ginny replied, glad that no one was listening to their conversation.

Harry nodded, "Well I dream about it too and I just wanted to let you know that if you want to talk to someone, I'm here for you. I just wanted to tell you that,"

Ginny smiled, "Thank you Harry,"

"You're welcome." Harry replied and grinned as he continued to eat his lunch, He felt happy now that he'd talked to Ginny. He was worried about the nightmares Ginny was having. If his were horrific, then he could only imagine how bad hers were. They were friends now. He smiled at the thought and turned to join in the animated conversation Fred and Ron were having about the Chudley Cannons.

* * *

When the Potters returned home that evening, they found Remus waiting for them in the Hall with a look of pure delight on his face.

"Hey Uncle Moony! What's up?" Harry asked as he handed Dotty his bags, giving her a silent smile of thanks.

"I just got a letter from Professor Dumbledore and you're looking at the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher! He told me that Snape is willing to make the Wolfsbane Potion for me!" Remus exclaimed.

"Remus! That's amazing!" Lily squealed as she hugged him.

"Yeah it is Moony! Well done!" James exclaimed as he did the same as Lily, Harry following in suit.

They all knew how much this meant to him. Remus had a lot of problems getting a job because of his furry little problem as Harry and James liked to call it. He was hired because of his good qualifications but as soon as the boss found out that Remus was a werewolf. They sent him packing.

"This is great. I have to call you Professor Lupin now!" Harry exclaimed, "Congratulations Professor,"

"So you don't mind?" Remus asked.

"No. I know you won't have favorites. But I know you'll make a great teacher! Have you accepted the job?" Harry asked.

"No I was waiting for you to approve," Remus replied.

"Approve? Of course we'd approve! Now hurry up Remus! Send that letter!" Dorea exclaimed.

Remus smiled and nodded and hurried off to send the letter.

"This will be good for Harry. Remus will be able to keep an eye on him and with Sirius on the loose, it'll be much better," Dorea said.

"That's true," Lily agreed.

"Well, I'll go and put the twins to bed now," Lily said, pointing to Arya and Iris who had fallen asleep whilst playing with their toys.

Dorea nodded, "I'll help you,"

They left after kissing Harry on the head.

"Dad, is it hard to become an Animagi?" Harry asked.

"Sort of. Why?" James replied.

"I want to try. It would be cool!" Harry exclaimed.

"Well, we'll try during the next holidays. It took me two years to get it and you're starting school tomorrow," James said.

"Cool!" Harry grinned.

"Alright then Squirt! Lets head to bed!"

"G'Night Dad,"

"Sleep tight Harry," James replied.

Harry smiled as he got into bed. Tomorrow, he'd be starting his third year at Hogwarts.

**A/N: So how was that? Now....leave me some love (please)**

**CM x**


	12. Chapter 12:Dementors

**A/N: Hello!! Alrighty then, this chapter has loads of H & G interaction ( I think I ruined the surprise) but it's a little shorter. I shall try to update sooner now that I have 2 weeks of holidays (yay!!)Anyway, enough of my rambles...Enjoy the chapter :)**

Chapter 12: Dementors

Harry smiled as he waved goodbye to his family, with Remus who was sitting next to him. He smiled at Uncle Remus encouragingly as Harry's friends began to fill into their compartment. Hermione smiled at Harry, but looked puzzled as she saw Remus sitting next to him.

"Mr Lupin? What are you doing here?" She asked.

"You mean Professor Lupin, because you're looking at our new DADA teacher!" Harry exclaimed.

"Congratulations, Professor!" Hermione said.

Remus blushed and nodded, "Thank you, Hermione." He looked around and yawned. He was tired as the full moon was fast approaching, "Well, if you don't mind, I'm going to take a nap." He was out in minutes.

"How can anyone just drop off like that?" Hermione asked, "Is Professor Lupin ok? He looks really tired."

"He's fine," Harry replied.

"Ok--" Ron began, but frowned as he saw Ginny in the same compartment, "Ginny? Why are you here?"

Ginny scowled at her brother and tried to blink back tears as she remembered something else that Tom had said to her.

_~Flashback~_

"_No one cares about you, Ginny. If they did, they would be looking for you," Tom said._

"_T-that's not true!" Ginny said, shaking her head._

"_Oh? Who are you trying to fool, Ginny? I know they don't care. Do you remember when Harry had the diary? He told me that you were a pest. He doesn't like you either," Tom lied._

"_That's not true!" Ginny repeated._

"_You know it is. But I don't hate you. You've helped me so much. How could I hate you after that?" Riddle laughed as he stepped closer to her._

_Ginny gulped. Riddle was right. It was her fault. She turned away from him. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she remembered the panic she had caused. It was her fault!_

_~End of Flashback~_

Ginny snapped out of the memory as she felt herself being pulled into Hermione's arms for a hug.

"Ginny? Are you ok? Why are you crying?" Hermione asked as she threw Ron a dirty look.

"I-I'm ok," Ginny lied and ran out of the compartment.

"What's your problem, Ronald?" Hermione asked, her eyes blazing.

"She overreacted! I just asked her something!" Ron said in defense.

"Just asked her something? You should have heard your tone!" Hermione retorted.

"I didn't mean it that way!" Ron replied.

They were so caught up in their argument that they didn't notice Harry slip out of the compartment and start to look for Ginny. He found her a few minutes later in an empty compartment, wiping her eyes.

"Ginny?" Harry called softly.

Ginny looked at him through watery eyes and gave him a small smile, "Hi, Harry."

Harry took that as an invitation to sit next to her. He closed the compartment door and sat down, "Are you alright?" He asked, knowing the answer.

Ginny shook her head, "Ron just brought back some memories from the Chamber," she replied, blinking back tears.

Harry sighed, "Let it out, Ginny. It's ok to cry sometimes,"

Ginny nodded, and without warning, tears began to pour uncontrollably. This Harry had expected, so he pulled her closer to his chest and held her there.

A few minutes later, Ginny looked up and smiled at him, "Thank you,"

"Anytime. Ginny, don't listen to Ron. He doesn't understand what you went through. Facing Voldemort isn't easy, even if it was before he was in power. Ron doesn't understand that you've just gone to Hell and back and neither does your Mum, I'm guessing, from how she treated you this summer. When you went to Hogwarts last year, you were an innocent little girl. Now you're more mature than girls your age because you've experienced a nightmare," Harry replied wondering where that bit of wisdom had come from.

Ginny shook her head, "I don't get it. Why are you being so kind to me and getting me to open up?" She asked and then she started to cry again.

Harry wasn't sure why she was crying, so he pulled her in for a hug again, "I'm helping you because I know how it feels to be hurt by him. Ginny, he tried to kill me when I was one and I can still remember some of the things that happened that night. The green light and the laughter. Then, in my first year at Hogwarts I came face to face with him again and I was scared out of my life and I still have nightmares about it, and now I have nightmares about the Chamber too. I know it's scary to have something like this happen to you during your first year, and for you, Ginny, it was even worse. I volunteered to go after the person who was after the Philosopher's Stone, but you didn't know, Ginny. Those dreams that you get after you've experienced something like that are so scary, that they're real. I want to help you and I want you to know that I'll always be there for you. It's just that when you experience that kind of situation, when you feel like you're going to die and you meet someone else who's faced that situation too, it brings you together. So I want to be your friend, Ginny, and I want to help you, if you'll let me."

Ginny wiped the tears from her eyes, sat up and then hugged Harry, "Thank you, Harry. I'm sorry I cried. I'll let you be my friend. I'll let you help me."

"That's what friends are for, so don't mention it. Anytime you want to make my shirt all wet again, just say the word!" Harry exclaimed.

Ginny opened her mouth to say sorry, but then stopped as she saw the twinkle of humor in Harry's eyes and laughed, "I'll hold you to that."

Harry smiled, "Are you coming back to our compartment?"

Ginny shook her head, "No. I want to catch up with my friends,"

"Okay, Ginny. I'll see you around," Harry said and pulled her in for one last hug and left the compartment.

Ginny smiled. She wondered if Harry realised, he'd just helped her more than anyone ever could have. He'd given her the bit of confidence she needed.

* * *

Harry walked back to the compartment Ron, Hermione and Remus were in. He had just entered when Hermione jumped up, "Harry! Where were you?"

"I was talking to Ginny," Harry replied, taking a seat next to her.

"Why? She was just overreacting. I mean she's been so weird this summer. She's been having these weird nightmares. I think they were because of the stuff we saw in those tombs. You don't need to worry about her! She's ok," Ron said.

"Ok? Do you call someone bawling their eyes out ok? The nightmares she has aren't about the tombs! They're about what happened last June, and they're probably worse than mine. She was an eleven year old girl and she's experienced something that not even adults should have to go through. I'm the only one who understands what she's been through, ok? She isn't a little girl anymore. Don't you get it? She was _possessed_ by Voldemort," Harry paused as he watched Ron and Hermione flinch at the name, "He may not have been all that powerful, but he was manipulative enough. Try to put yourself in her position for two minutes, then you'll see why I went to talk to her." Harry was fuming and glaring at his friend.

Hermione smiled, "You did the right thing, Harry,"

"I'm sorry, Harry, I didn't know. I just thought Ginny liked you so--" Ron trailed off.

"She doesn't like me anymore," Harry replied.

"Oh," Ron said as Hermione sighed.

"Alright, now I have to tell you something and you have to swear not to tell anyone," Harry began.

Hermione and Ron nodded.

"Did you read that article about the prison breakout?" Harry asked.

"There was a prison breakout?!" Hermione gasped.

Harry nodded and Ron said, "Yeah. This guy called Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban. No one knows how he did it, of course, especially since he was in a high security cell. No one escapes the Dementors, it's impossible! The Ministry of Magic are really worried. Apparently Fudge told the Minister for Muggles--"

"The _Prime _Minister, Ron," Hermione corrected, "What about Sirius Black?"

"Well, did you know he killed this guy called Peter Pettigrew and well then only bit of Pettigrew they found was his little finger. And Black also blasted the whole street that was full of Muggles and killed thirteen of them who were in the way with a single curse," Harry said.

"Oh Lord!" Hermione exclaimed, "When did this happen?"

"Twelve years ago. Sirius Black was my Dad and Uncle Remus's best friend," Harry said.

"No!" Hermione gasped, her hand covered her mouth.

Harry grimaced. "Yup. He turned out to be a murderer. And there's more! Pettigrew was one of Black's best friends too. Uncle Remus, Dad, Pettigrew and Black were inseparable in school. Then, when my parents found out Voldemort was coming after them, they decided to go into hiding and use the Fidelius Charm..."

"The what?" Ron asked.

"The Fidelius Charm. It allows a person to be hidden from sight besides specific individuals. The secret is kept with the Secret-Keeper. Only they know where the hidden object or person is," Hermione explained.

"Oh. So Black was Secret-Keeper?" Ron asked.

"Yes and no. See, back then Black was Dad's best friend as I said before, so Black was chosen to be Secret Keeper initially, but then, right at the last minute, Dad says Black convinced him to change the Secret Keeper to Pettigrew. Dad and Mum were hesitant at first, because Pettigrew was always weaker than the rest of them, but Black said it would be something Voldemort would never expect. That Voldemort would come after Sirius with false hope and would be thrown off the trail. It turned out that Black was in league with Voldemort. He was a spy. He had been passing information to Voldemort for ages. The night Voldemort attacked, Black led Voldemort to Pettigrew, who got scared and squealed. Dad didn't believe any of this, of course but all of the evidence pointed against Black. But Black betrayed them. Then afterwards, Black went after Pettigrew, probably to get rid of the evidence. Witnesses say that Pettigrew was screaming 'traitor' to Black. Then Black killed him, and when Ministry officials came to take him to Azkaban, he just laughed," Harry finished the story.

"Whoa! So I guess James and Professor Lupin are kind of pissed off about this whole thing, huh?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded, "Yeah, you could say that. Black probably doesn't know my Mum and Dad are still alive. He went to Azkaban thinking they were dead and they haven't gone to visit him since. But there's more."

"More? How on earth could there be more?" Hermione asked appalled.

"Well apparently, the Dementors said Black kept muttering 'he's at Hogwarts' repeatedly in his sleep. So Fudge said that he's coming after me,"

"Why?" Ron asked, knowing the answer.

"To--" Harry gulped, "Kill me."

"That's nonsense! Why would Black want to kill you?" Hermione questioned.

"Black thinks that killing me will bring Voldemort back," Harry replied.

"Ridiculous!" Hermione murmured.

"I've been under house arrest all summer. I wasn't allowed to go out of the house and I wasn't going to be allowed to go to Hogsmeade, but Dad and Mum feel more reassured now that Uncle Remus is going to be at Hogwarts too," Harry said.

Hermione nodded but then shivered, "It's getting colder,"

"I—Hey! Who turned off the lights?" Ron shouted.

The train had become pitch black. Grey clouds rolled across the blue skies and the glass frosted. The compartment door slid open...

"Ouch! Do you _mind_?"

"Who's there?" Harry asked.

"It's Ginny," Ginny replied in a small voice, shivering.

"Careful! I'm sitting here! Who is this?" Ron complained.

"Oh sorry. It's Neville. What's up with the power cut?"

"It's freezing!" Ginny said.

"Shh!," Remus hissed.

The compartment door slid open again and a black cloaked thing floated in between the doors for around a second before entering the little cold carriage. Wispy, thin hands came out from its cloak as it gripped Harry's face and all of a sudden Harry saw a flash of green light and heard a piercing scream. Then everything went black.

* * *

"Harry! Harry!" Someone was slapping his face.

He opened his eyes and blinked as the lights blinded him for around a second. Then he sat up and looked from Hermione to Remus, "Who screamed?"

"No one screamed, Harry," Ginny replied shakily. She was still trembling.

"But I swear I heard...What was that thing?" Harry asked.

"A Dementor," Remus replied, breaking a large slab of chocolate and giving a bit to Harry, "From Azkaban. They're searching the train for Sirius Black. They bring back unhappy memories; they make you feel as though you'll--"

"Never feel happy again," Ginny finished. Harry turned to look at her. She looked as bad as he felt.

"Right! I'm going to talk to the conductor. Eat that chocolate please, Harry," Remus said.

Harry nodded and bit the chocolate. He began to feel warmer, "What happened?"

"Well, that Dementor thing came and started to do something to you and you started to shake and then Professor Lupin made it go away by casting this misty white thing at it and it left," Ron replied.

"You passed out, Harry. You were shaking like mad. We were so worried," Hermione said.

"Did...Did anyone else pass out too?" Harry asked.

"No. Ginny almost did, though," Ron said.

"Oh," Harry shifted in his chair uncomfortably. Why had the Dementor affected him in that way?

He had just finished the last bite of the chocolate when Remus came back into the carriage, "We'll be at Hogwarts in fifteen minutes so, if you want to get read..." He suggested.

Harry nodded, not missing the concerned looks he got from his uncle. He sighed. Was there something wrong with him? Was he weak? After all, he was the only one that passed out.

Harry shrugged as he put on his cloak. He'd worry about this later.

**A/N: So I hope you liked that......**

** Please review!!! 10 reviews before the next update please.......**

** Oh and Happy Easter :)**

** CM x**


	13. Chapter 13: Third Year

**A/N: Quicker update this time, thanks to my amazing beta Ginny Guerra. Hope you like the chapter...please R&R**

Chapter 13: Third Year: Maps, Talks and Punches

Harry stepped into the Great Hall along with Ron and Hermione and regretted it almost immediately as he heard the Hall going silent. All eyes were trained on him as he sat down at the Gryffindor Table. Hermione gave him an encouraging look that clearly said 'ignore them Harry'.

As soon as Harry entered Hogwarts, he'd been taken to the Hospital Wing by Professor McGonagall for a check-up. After insisting he was fine, they had allowed him to go to the feast. To make matters worse, Malfoy had managed to find out about the Dementors, and was making fainting motions.

"Ignore him, Harry," Hermione commanded in a low voice.

Harry nodded. They finished their food and turned to the head table just in time to see Dumbledore stand up to talk. The Great Hall became silent once more, "I hope everyone has had a good summer. Firstly I have to inform you about Sirius Black. As you all know, he is a mass murderer and can also be called a madman. He has escaped Azkaban Prison, a deed that was thought by many to be impossible. The Dementors from Azkaban are now guarding the school under the Ministry's orders. Please be warned, it is not in the nature of a Dementor to be forgiving, nor will it differentiate between the innocent and the guilty. They cannot be fooled by any disguise and they can detect invisibility cloaks." Dumbledore's eyes lingered on Harry, Ron and Hermione for a few short seconds, "Students will not be allowed out of the castle after hours. This is very important. Now then, on a happier note, I'd like to introduce three new members of our staff to you. Firstly we have Professor Lupin who has stepped up to the challenge of becoming our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Good luck Professor! Secondly we have a new Ancient Runes Professor, Professor Reed." The hall applauded. Harry turned to see Professor Reed. He had black hair and blue eyes. Hermione and Ginny sighed at him and Harry rolled his eyes, smirking. They all looked at Dumbledore again as he continued, "And finally, Professor Kettleburn decided to retire in order for him to tend to his remaining limbs, I'm happy to announce that his position will be filled by none other than our own Rubeus Hagrid!"

"No kidding!" Harry shouted over the loud applause from the Gryffindor table, "I suppose we should have known! Who else would send us a biting book?"

"Well done, Hagrid!" Ron roared as Hermione and Ginny squealed. The clapping died down eventually and Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way to Hagrid.

"Congratulations, Hagrid!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Well it's all down to yeh three. If yeh hadn't cleared me name last year, I wouldn't have gotten the job," Hagrid said as he blushed.

"That's not true! Dumbledore knows you're perfect for the job," Harry insisted. A hand landed on Harry's shoulder and Harry turned to see Remus standing behind him, looking slightly tired, but happy all the same.

"Congratulations, Hagrid! It's nice to see I have a familiar face on the staff," Remus said.

"Snape?" Harry asked.

"Yeah. He still doesn't trust me. But he's helping me with my... uhh... illness and I guess that's all I can ask for," Remus sighed.

Harry nodded, "Well, I guess we'll head to bed now. Classes start early in the morning,"

"Don't remind me!" Ron groaned, "And no offense, mate, but your beginning to sound like Hermione," Ron sniggered, wincing as Hermione slapped him upside the head.

"Ow!"

"Oh, stop being such a baby, Ron!"

"You can hit _hard, _Hermione!"

Harry sighed and Remus grinned. Ron and Hermione reminded him of Lily and James.

"G'Night, Professor Lupin, Professor Hagrid," Harry said, waving as the trio started to head up to their dormitories.

Hagrid beamed, "'Night,"

Harry grinned as he toned out his best friends' bickering once again. He had a feeling his third year was going to be heaps of fun.

* * *

_Dear All,_

_This term is going to be amazing! The start of it wasn't the greatest, I'm sure you've heard already about the Dementor? Well when the Dementor did its 'thing', I swear I heard a woman scream my name and there was that blinding flash of green light. My old nightmare's come back again, but this time it has everything; the Chamber, the green light and the scream. Anyway, Uncle Moony gave me some chocolate after I'd regained consciousness and I felt better. Now Malfoy's been making fun of me. If he continues, I'm going to hex him._

_I followed your advice, Mum, and I spoke to Ginny. I talked to her and helped her to understand that I'm there to help. She's started to open up a bit more. It's kind of cool and she's really nice. She likes having someone to talk to since I've experienced the same thing. Kind of._

_Now for some happy news. Our new Care of Magical Creatures teacher (that rhymed!) is Hagrid! Hagrid! I should have known -who else would set a biting book? The way we have to open the book is absolutely ridiculous, and the way Hagrid told us, it was as if it was the most obvious thing in the whole world –'you just have to stroke the spine'. His first class was amazing! We learnt about Hippogriffs. It was turning out to be an awesome lesson, but then Malfoy had to go and spoil it. Hagrid had specifically told us not to offend the Hippogriffs and Malfoy goes up to the biggest one and calls it __an ugly brute. Naturally, it attacked the idiot and Malfoy was taken to the Hospital Wing, and he's now acting like the hero of a great battle. It's all nonsense. Hagrid's really worried about getting fired. We went to talk to him, but then he shouted at us for going outside after dark._

_Divination is just pathetic. It's all crap. NONE of it's true. Our teacher, Professor Trelawney, is sort of crazy. No, wait, who am I trying to kid. She's insane. She wears these huge glasses and these shawls that are really gaudy and very dull. She scared us half to death because that's exactly what she 'saw'. My death. But when we got to Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall told us that what Trelawney did was normal because she does the same thing to her new batch of students every year. It's the way she likes to start the year. Lucky me, right?_

_Ancient Runes, in Hermione's words, is a fascinating subject, and I happen to agree. But I think she likes it a hell of a lot more because of Professor Reed. He's very handsome according to Lavender and Parvati, but he's nothing like Lockhart, thankfully. He's a really good teacher and the subject itself is really interesting. Right now we're learning about the history of the Ancient Runes. I suppose that's the last of my elective subjects._

_Hermione is hiding something from Ron and me though. She's taking every single class and I swear I'm not exaggerating. She's taking all of her usual subjects plus the electives: Ancient Runes, Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy and Muggle Studies and she manages to get everywhere on time and she hasn't missed a single lesson! It's strange._

_Snape's the same old sweet, kind, caring teacher. Ha! I wish! He gave us the shrinking solution on the very first day, a hard one and since Malfoy's 'injuries' are really bad, Snape made Ron and __I__ me cut up his ingredients. The git!_

_Uncle Moony's classes are amazing. Everyone's been talking about them. Our first lesson was about Boggarts. Snape started to criticize Neville and Uncle Moony -being Uncle Moony- told Neville to go first. He told Neville to picture the thing he fears the most -Snape- in his grandmother's clothes. It was hilarious! Boggart Snape came out wearing this long, green sweater dress, a vulture hat and a bright red handbag. Snape's pissed off about it, because of the rumours that are going around the school. Needless to say, every single Gryffindor's going to treasure the memory._

_I just have one problem. See, it was my turn to face the Boggart, but then Uncle Moony didn't let me have a go. I just wanted to know why. I'll ask him soon. But DADA is still the most popular class._

_Ron and Hermione have been bickering non-stop. I know you probably think I should be used to it, but this time it's about Hermione's new cat, Crookshanks. I swear that cat hates Scabbers. Anyway, the arguing is driving me batty._

_Quidditch has started again and Oliver gave us another long speech. It's his last year, so he really wants to win._

_I've only been writing about what's been going on here. How is everyone?_

_I'll write later._

_Love,_

_Harry._

_

* * *

  
_

Harry cornered Remus after his DADA class. He still didn't know why Remus hadn't allowed him to have a go with the Boggart, "Hey, Uncle Remus? Can I talk to you please?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, sure, Harry. What's up?" Remus replied.

"Why didn't you let me fight the Boggart?"

"Well, I didn't want to cause panic amongst the students. I thought that it would turn into Voldemort,"

"Well, I did think of Voldemort first," Harry admitted, "But then I remembered the Dementors. I think they scared me more than Voldemort."

"Well, Harry, in that case, I should apologize, but I am impressed. What you did suggests that what you fear the most is...fear itself," Remus said.

Harry smiled, "It's alright. I just thought you thought I was afraid,"

"Not at all. Have you heard from Lily and James?" Remus asked.

"No, not yet. I just wrote to them,"

"Alright then. Well, kiddo, you'd better run along to your next class. You don't want to be late, do you?"

"No, definitely not. See ya, Uncle Remus,"

"Bye kiddo,"

* * *

**Dear Harry,**

**We got a letter from Remus explaining why he stopped you from fighting the Boggart. He said you two talked. We had no idea that Hagrid was offered the post of Care of Magical Creatures teacher. He's perfect for it! Pass on our congratulations.**

**Arya and Iris are talking a lot, of course, and we've started to teach them the basic magic that we taught you when you were 4. We want an earlier start for them because, alone you were a handful, but there are two of them and they're slightly scary. Their magic has become very powerful. Just to let you know, your Mum and I are coming to Hogwarts soon. We need to talk to Dumbledore. Your grandmother is fine, too, but she said that you need to watch your mouth boy, or in this case, your quill. Your Mum agrees.**

**The Sirius case has really kept me busy, so keep us posted on that fun stuff.**

**Love,**

**Dad, Mum, Grandma, Iris and Arya.**

**

* * *

  
**

Ginny sank into the couch as she sat down and rolled her eyes as her stomach grumbled.

"C'mon Gin! Let's go down to the feast," Harry said.

"No. I'm not hungry Harry. You go on," Ginny replied. Her stomach let out another groan.

Harry raised his eyebrows, and then he remembered what had happened last Halloween. The chamber had been opened and Mrs Norris had been petrified, "Look, Ginny, you're fine. Nothing's going to happen, I swear,"

"I opened the Chamber for the first time last Halloween," Ginny told him.

"I know. But it isn't going to happen again. Now come on! I know you're hungry!" Harry replied.

"Alright," Ginny relented.

Harry grinned and they walked into the Great Hall. He sat down at the table with her and nodded at Hermione. Together they began to pile food onto Ginny's plate.

"Whoa, guys! I'll eat, but I'm not Ron. I don't plan to stuff myself to the next century," Ginny joked as she took her plate from Harry, "Thank you, Harry,"

"Oi!" Ron exclaimed, with a mouthful of food.

"Ronald! Do you have no manners whatsoever? Don't talk with your mouth full!" Hermione chastised and Ginny laughed.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"You sound like my Mum!" Ginny said between giggles.

Hermione stuck her tongue out and began to giggle too. Harry smiled, as long as Ginny was smiling, he was happy.

* * *

Harry lay down beside Hermione in his sleeping bag and sighed as he remembered what the Fat Lady had said,_ "It's him, Professor Dumbledore, the one everyone's talking about. Sirius Black,"_

He couldn't believe it. Sirius Black had broken into Hogwarts; he'd gotten past the Dementors again! The one question that remained on Harry's mind as he slowly drifted off to sleep, was why Black had gone to the dorms. Why hadn't he just come to the Great Hall where Harry was?

* * *

_Dear All,_

_I feel terrible! That Quidditch match was a disaster! The first match I have ever lost. We lost it to Hufflepuff. The Dementors came in and made me fall off my broom. They affect me way more than they affect anyone else. Anyway, my Nimbus... well it died! It crashed into the Whomping Willow. I need another one. Wood's already started to show me catalogues... I'll buy one myself this time. I have enough saved up from my pocket money._

_I heard the woman screaming again when I fell off the broom. I know what it is now. It's Mum screaming when Voldemort was going to kill her. Uncle Moony says that the reason the Dementors target me is because I've experienced horrible things. He's going to teach me how to get rid of them. We're going to start after Christmas because of his illness._

_What do you need to talk to Dumbledore about? Oh, I remember those lessons. They're supposed to help you gain more control over your powers right? Well I wish them luck._

_I'm sure you probably know, but Sirius Black broke into Hogwarts. He escaped before we had a chance to nab him. Everyone's still worried, though. I'll keep you posted._

_Love,_

_Harry._

_

* * *

  
_

Harry glared at the floor as he watched Hermione and Ron get ready to go to Hogsmeade. After Black had broken into Hogwarts, he had teachers watching him all the time. It felt like he had bodyguards and it wasn't fun. He wasn't allowed out after hours and Dumbledore had banned him from Hogsmeade as a precaution. He sighed as he waved to his best friends, he knew it was for his safety, but all of his privileges had been taken away!

He looked up as he heard Fred and George's footsteps, "Hey,"

"Hello, Harry! Ahh you look so sad, doesn't he, George?" Fred asked with a mischievous grin.

"Aye! Why are you so upset, mate?" George questioned, mirroring his twin's expression.

"Yeah, like you don't already know," Harry replied bitterly.

"We understand, Harry. Life sucks, but sometimes a gift helps cheer you up. We've had it for five years, but we've decided that your need for it is much greater than ours," Fred said.

"Indeed," George interjected, "Now, come here! We are about to give you something that is the secret to our success!"

Harry raised his eyebrows, "Really?"

"Yup!"

George took out an old bit of parchment and unrolled it, "Ahh, these people are geniuses!"

"What? Who are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"Let me tell you a little story, Harry. See, we were in our first year. We were young, we were carefree, we, my lad, were innocent--" Fred began.

Harry snorted. The twins and innocent? That's a joke if there ever was one.

"Alright, fine. More innocent than we are now anyways, we let off a Dungbomb near Filch's office and he was not pleased. He caught us and practically dragged us to his office where he started threatening us with the usual punishments," George continued.

"But then we couldn't help but notice a drawer in one of his filing cabinets that was marked 'Confiscated and Highly Dangerous', so, well, naturally we were slightly curious," Fred said.

"Don't tell me you--" Harry began.

"What would you have done? Anyway, so Fred created a diversion with the Dungbomb and I reached into the drawer and grabbed this!" George exclaimed triumphantly pointing to the piece of paper.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"This, Harry, is nothing but the secret to our success!" Fred exclaimed; he pointed his wand to the paper and said, "_I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,"_

Lines began to form on the parchment and soon the old piece of parchment was an enchanted map that showed where everyone was. Across the top it read: _Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are proud to present The Marauder's Map._

"No way!" Harry exclaimed, "I've been looking for this map since my first year!"

"Wait! What? How do you know about this map?" Fred asked.

"My Dad's been telling me about the Marauders for ages," Harry explained.

"Whoa! Your Dad knew them?" George asked in awe.

"Nah. Even better," Harry said.

"Well go on! Tell us!" Fred said urgently.

"Well, see my Dad was one of the Marauders. Prongs was my Dad's nickname, Moony was Uncle Remus, a.k.a Professor Lupin, Wormtail was Peter Pettigrew and Padfoot was Sirius Black. They made this map when they were at Hogwarts," Harry told the twins.

"How?" George asked.

"I dunno. I'm going to take this to Professor Lupin. He's been looking for it since it got confiscated!" Harry said, "Bye guys! And thanks!"

Harry practically sprinted towards Remus's office but froze when he got there, "Mum? Dad? What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Yes, it's nice to see you too! We told you we wanted to talk to Dumbledore about something, didn't we?" Lily smiled.

"Oh. Alright then. Hello!" Harry exclaimed, then he took out the piece of parchment and put on it Remus's table.

"Is that what I think it is?" James asked excitedly.

"Well, if you're thinking it's that map you made ages ago, then yeah it is!" Harry replied.

"How did you get it?" Remus asked.

"Fred and George....They uhh, took it from Filch's office in their first year and they just gave it to me now," Harry exclaimed.

"I'm not surprised our map worked its way into their hands," James commented.

Lily hummed in agreement, "From what I've heard, those boys are quite the troublemakers themselves."

Remus laughed, "You've heard correctly then. Anyway, once you've finished with the map, all you have to do is tap it with your wand and say '_mischief__ managed'__."_

"Alright," Harry said.

"I don't think you should keep that, Harry. Not for now anyway," James said.

"You don't?" Harry asked looking crestfallen.

"No, Harry. If Sirius sees that, he'll take it and that'll put you in danger. Leave it with Remus for a little while, and when things settle down, you can have it back," James said and Lily nodded.

"Ok," Harry said, "What did you want to talk to Dumbledore about anyway?"

"Well, first we talked to him about you being allowed to go to Hogsmeade--" Lily began

"You mean I can go now?" Harry asked excitedly.

"Yes, dear. And we also talked about something else. Some sort of power you and I have. As I said, we need to talk during the summer. James and I just need more information," Lily continued.

"Oh. How are Arya, Iris and Grandma? Are they at home? " Harry enquired.

"They're fine. Arya and Iris have your father wrapped around their little fingers," Lily snickered.

Harry laughed, "Alright. I'm going to go and finish my homework. Bye, Mum, Dad, Uncle Remus,"

Lily and James smiled as they pulled their son in for a hug, "Bye, kiddo."

Harry waved at them as he left Remus' office. He headed to the Common Room and sat down in his favourite armchair and took out his books from his bag. He'd only written about a sentence when he saw Ginny sitting down on the couch next to him.

"Hi, Harry," Ginny greeted.

"Hi, Gin. What are you doing?" Harry asked.

"Potions homework. Snape really loves to make his students lives miserable," Ginny joked, "What about you?"

"Yeah, he does. Ancient Runes homework. It's really interesting," Harry grinned.

"Uhh, Harry. Can I ask you something about Sirius Black?" Ginny asked timidly.

Harry stiffened, "Yeah, I guess,"

"Well I've heard that Sirius Black escaped prison to come after you," Ginny said.

"That's true. Well, from what I've been told anyway. My Mum and Dad are still really worried about it," Harry replied.

"But that's the thing. I'm not sure that's true. You see, ever since the incident in the Chamber, I've become very good at judging people and I'm sure Sirius Black is innocent," Ginny began.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Well, everyone is capable of doing something bad, or evil. Even the best of people. Sometimes good people have a bit of bad in them too, but the bad bit only comes out when they're protecting someone close to them. For example, when I see you, I sense pure goodness, but then there is a darker side of you that would only come out if you were protecting someone or something. I see the same when I look at your father, Ron or my Dad. I can sense that you would only do something wrong if there was nothing else you could do. That's because you know what's right and wrong. Do you get what I'm trying to say?" Ginny replied.

"Kind of. I think you're saying that you can sense whether people are innocent or guilty, and that you can sense all of this just by looking at someone," Harry said.

"Exactly. It's like Legilimency," Ginny told him.

"Legilimency?"

"The ability to read people's minds. Riddle mastered it when he was a sixteen year old boy. I can't read minds but I can read emotions. I think that after he possessed me, he left some of his skills with me."

"That makes sense. I got the ability to speak Parseltongue because when Voldemort gave me this scar, he unintentionally transferred some of his powers to me," Harry said.

"I can speak Parseltongue too,"

"You can?" Harry asked.

"Yeah. I was in the garden and there was this garden snake and I just spoke to it without realizing," Ginny replied.

"Ok. So what does this have to do with Sirius Black?" Harry asked.

"Well, what do you think I see when I look at a picture of Sirius Black," Ginny asked.

"I don't know... a murderer?" Harry suggested.

"No. I see a man who's talented, noble and kind. I see a man who has been betrayed and abandoned. There is a dark side to him too, of course, but it's like yours, Harry, or like your dad's. It's something that tells me he would resort to evil if he had to protect someone he loves, not just for the sake of it. That's why I think Sirius Black is innocent and doesn't want to kill you," Ginny finished.

"That's interesting," Harry said slowly.

"That's what I see," Ginny replied.

"I know," Harry said, then he sighed, "Want to get some dinner? I'm kind of hungry."

Ginny laughed, "Sure,"

* * *

_Dear All,_

_Guess what? You don't know? Well I'll tell you...._

_I GOT A FIREBOLT FOR CHRISTMAS!!! (Did you send it to me?)_

_Well, I don't have it anymore. It was sent anonymously, so Hermione told McGonagall, who took it away because it needs to be checked for jinxes and curses. They think it's from Sirius Black. I think that's stupid. Black can hardly go to Quality Quidditch Supplies and buy a broomstick without anyone noticing, right? Anyway, now it's being stripped down. Imagine that. I owned the world's best broom for a few seconds! Poor thing. I'll get it back if there's nothing wrong with it. Of course, Ron and I are kind of annoyed about it. So we haven't been very nice to Hermione._

_Hagrid's depressed. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures has summoned Hagrid in about Buckbeak, the Hippogriff that 'attacked' Malfoy. There's a chance that Buckbeak might get executed. That's wrong because Malfoy provoked Buckbeak. Ron, Hermione and I are researching the case. Well as I said before, Ron and I aren't exactly talking to Hermione, so it's kind of complicated._

_I told Oliver about the Firebolt and well, if I said he was excited, it would be an understatement. So now he's gone to badger McGonagall until she gives it back._

_My first 'How-to-repel-a-Dementor' lesson didn't go too well, even though we used a Boggart. Uncle Remus told me not to worry, because the spell is above the OWL level. That still doesn't make me feel any better._

_Hermione's schedule is still really confusing. She hasn't missed any lessons and still goes to all of them. She still hasn't told us how she's doing it._

_How are Arya and Iris's lessons going? Merry Christmas!_

_Love,_

_Harry._

**Dear Harry,**

**DO NOT GET MAD AT HERMIONE FOR SUCH A STUPID REASON! WHAT SHE DID WAS RIGHT AND EVEN IF IT WAS A STATE-OF-THE-ART BROOM, IF IT HAD BEEN JINXED, YOU COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR YOU COULD HAVE DIED! YOU APOLOGISE TO HER RIGHT AWAY!**

**We're sorry your broomstick has been taken away and no it wasn't from us. But you'll get it back as soon as we're sure it's safe. The Patronus Charm is difficult, so don't worry, you'll get it soon. Moony's a great teacher.**

**Arya and Iris are as good as you. They managed to levitate your bed, from downstairs, so they're doing well. They told me to say hi. They can talk very well now. Just the pronunciation they struggle with. It's kind of funny to be honest.**

**Have you gotten the map back from Moony yet? If you haven't, don't worry. You'll get it back as soon as Sirius is caught.**

**Stay out of trouble please.**

**Love,**

**Dad, Mum, Grandma, Arya and Iris.**

_Dear All,_

_Ron and I have apologized to Hermione. It was wrong of us. I also got the Firebolt back. There's nothing wrong with it. McGonagall says I have a very good friend somewhere. I still don't know who sent it to me, though._

_Crookshanks ate Scabbers._

_Well, that's what we think. Ron's bed had Crookshanks' hair on it along with a little bit of blood and, well, Scabbers is missing. Naturally Ron's furious with Hermione. He says that she's making fun of him and that she doesn't care about other people's pets. They're not talking to each other and that's driving me insane. I feel like an owl._

_We had a Quidditch match against Ravenclaw. Their Seeker, Cho Chang is a fourth year and she was riding a Comet Two Sixty. She has long black hair and soft grey eyes. She's really pretty. I beat her, though (of course)._

_Anyway, during the game, three 'Dementors' appeared and I performed the Patronus Charm and I was really happy because the 'Dementors' had no effect on me whatsoever. Anyway, my Patronus took the shape of a white stag! Uncle Remus told me that the memories I used are the happiest memories I have. I thought about our family and my friends. Afterwards__ I found out that the 'Dementors' were actually Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. They had dressed up as Dementors because they thought I would faint. To say McGonagall was pissed would be an understatement. They're in big trouble!_

_Then, at around midnight, Ron woke up us all up because he was screaming. He told us that Sirius Black was standing over him with a knife. Obviously, no one believed him. McGonagall came and asked Sir Cadogan (he replaced the Fat Lady) if he had let a man in and he said yes, so McGonagall asked him about the passwords and then Sir Cadogan told her that he read them off a sheet of paper. Turns out that Neville had written down all of the passwords because he keeps on forgetting them, he's been banned from Hogsmeade for the rest of the year._

_Hagrid received a reply from those Committee people. Buckbeak's been sentenced to death. We're going down to see him now, so I'll write later._

_Love,_

_Harry_

**A/N: So the next chapter will be about Harry finding out about Sirius. **

**Comments? Suggestions? Criticism? Compliments?**

**Please review. Even if its just a sentence saying 'update soon'.**

**Ishani x**


	14. Chapter 14: Meeting Padfoot

**A/N: Hello! I'm so so sorry for the delay...school got in the way again. Anyway, thank again to my lovely beta ****Ginny Guerra who puts up with my craziness :)**

******So this chapter has a lot of dialogues and not a lot of description, so I'm sorry about that, but I've done the best I could because talking is very important in this chapter. I've already started chapter 15 and hopefully it'll be up quicker than this one. Hope you like this chapter :) Remember to review (We're almost at a 100!)**

******Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter...........:(**

Chapter 14: Meeting Padfoot

Harry, Ron and Hermione started to walk down to Hagrid's. Hermione huffed as they saw Malfoy and his cronies watching Hagrid and she stormed towards him.

Malfoy laughed as her approaching, "Have you come to watch the show?

"What sort of foul evil cockroach are you?" Hermione hissed.

"A one of a kind," Malfoy snickered.

Hermione snorted and took at her wand, she pointed it at Malfoy.

"Hermione, leave him. He isn't worth it," Harry said as Ron gaped at her.

Hermione lowered her wand. Malfoy laughed and Hermione saw red, and before she could stop herself, she ploughed her fist into Malfoy's face, grinning in satisfaction as he whimpered.

"Malfoy? Are you alright?" Crabbe asked.

"Let's go," Malfoy ordered, practically running inside the building.

Hermione turned and raised her eyebrows when she saw Ron's and Harry's stunned faces, "What?"

"That was bloody brilliant!" Ron exclaimed.

"I second that!" Harry agreed.

"Thanks," Hermione said, but then her smile faltered, "C'mon, let's go!"

Harry and Ron followed Hermione as they raced down to Hagrid's. Harry knocked softly on the door.

"Hi, Hagrid. Where's Buckbeak?"Harry asked softy.

"Over 'here," Hagrid told them, pointing to the vegetable patch, "I wanted him ter be comfortable before they...yeh know. But yeh shouldn't have come,"

"Don't be silly, Hagrid," Hermione said, taking Hagrid's large hand into her small one and patting it, "We wouldn't let you go through this one your own."

Ron nodded, "That's what we here for, mate."

Hermione stood up, "I'll make some tea, Hagrid. It'll make you feel better."

Hagrid nodded shakily, "It's not tha' I don' appreciate yeh coming here. It's just too dangerous an' this isn' something yeh three should see."

"But, Hagrid, we want to--"

"No! You'll get inter trouble, and yeh wanderin' around like this after hours is dangerous, especially with Black on the loose. We're not worth that!" Hagrid said fiercely.

Suddenly, Hermione shrieked, "Ron! I found Scabbers!"

Ron jumped to his feet, "Where?"

Hermione pointed to the open cupboard with one hand, as she handed Scabbers to Ron, "I think you owe someone an apology!"

Ron rolled his eyes, "Right. So the next time I see that bloody beast of yours I'll make sure I say sorry,"

"I meant me!" Hermione hissed. Harry shook his head.

"It's getting late," Hagrid said looking out of the window, his eyes widened as he saw three figures coming, one was carrying a large axe, "You three have ter leave! You can't be seen here and they're coming. None of you should be here, especially yeh Harry! You have ter go now! Go on, out the back!"

"But we want--" Harry began.

"Go!" Hagrid ordered.

The trio ran out of the back and hid behind the large stack of pumpkins. They could see Dumbledore, Fudge and the executioner entering Hagrid's house.

"C'mon!" Harry whispered. They ran silently up the hill towards the castle. They stood there, watching, waiting and then all of a sudden, Ron started to squirm.

"Ron, what are you doing?" Hermione spat.

"It's Scabbers...I...He won't stop moving...Scabbers stay still you....Ouch! He bit me!"

Scabbers landed on the ground, and before Harry and Hermione could stop Ron, he was chasing after his pet. Hermione looked at Harry worriedly as they started to follow Ron.

Scabbers continued to scurry here and there, Ron hot on his tail. Harry groaned as he saw a familiar figure in the shadows. Crookshanks came slinking out of his hiding place and Harry pointed him out to Hermione.

"Crookshanks! Get back here," Hermione hissed.

Crookshanks continued to creep after Ron, who was lying on his stomach, having trapped Scabbers.

Then, without warning, a large, scruffy, black dog jumped out of the woods, Harry remembered seeing him in Diagon Alley. The dog ran swiftly towards Ron, who was still lying down, gripped his leg between his jaws and dragged him into the hole underneath the Whomping Willow.

"RON!" Harry and Hermione screamed.

Hermione gripped Harry's arm, "What do we do now? We have to get under that tree!"

Harry nodded and pointed towards the hole. Crookshanks stepped forward, and slowly, being careful to not get in the way of the Whomping Willow, pressed the little knot. The swirling branches stopped and Harry and Hermione slid through the hole, Hermione landing on top of Harry at the bottom of the entrance.

Harry and Hermione stood up, "You alright, Hermione?"

"Mhmm, where are we?" she asked, looking around.

"The Whomping Willow leads to the Shrieking Shack. We're in the tunnel between them," Harry replied.

Hermione nodded, "C'mon then. Let's go!"

They walked hurriedly. Hermione's looked petrified, "Why did the dog grab Ron?"

"I have no idea," Harry said. They halted at a dark room, with crooked stairs.

"We climb up those?" Hermione asked.

"We climb up those," Harry confirmed.

Hermione nodded as though to get a grip of all of her anxieties. She held on to Harry's hand tightly as he helped her up the stairs. They treaded slowly, carefully. There was silence, apart from the occasional creaky floorboard. Harry looked around as they walked, the furniture was torn apart, mangled, and in some cases, in shreds. He realised that Remus had done most of the damage. They finally reached the top of the staircase; hearing Ron's moans, they rushed into the room and froze when they heard Ron,

"No Harry! It's a trap! He's...He's an Animagus, Harry!"

The door slammed shut and Harry's eyes widened as he internally cursed himself for being so stupid. His father had told him about them becoming Animagi, before he had stepped onto the Hogwarts Express, and Sirius had been a scruffy, black dog. Padfoot.

Harry grabbed his wand from his robes and pointed it at Black, "Let him go!"

"I knew you'd come after your friend, Harry," Black began, "James would have done the same for me!"

"Shut up! Don't you dare! Don't you _dare_ talk about my father like you know him!" Harry shouted, "I'm the one you want. Why do you need them? Let them go!"

Black glared at Harry's wand enviously, "No," he said, shaking his head, "I've waited twelve years for this. I'm not going to let a good opportunity go to waste! I'm not going to let _him _go,"

"Him? It's me you want!" Harry retorted.

"No. I don't want you! I want him!" Black roared, pointing at Ron.

"Me? You're mental!" Ron stated, "He's bloody mental!"

"No, boy! Not you, the rat,"

"Scabbers? Why do you want Scabbers?" Ron whimpered.

"I want him because he's the reason I spent twelve bloody years in Azkaban!" Black said, "And now, I want to commit the crime I was imprisoned for!"

"I know why you were put in Azkaban! You were put into Azkaban because you betrayed my parents! You sold them to Voldemort! Then you killed Pettigrew and now you've escaped Azkaban to kill me!" And with that Harry pounced on Sirius. Harry grinned as he tried to remember some of the tactics his dad had taught him when they were wrestling. Black barely had the time to defend himself.

"Harry, wait! Get off! You don't understand!"

"To hell I don't!" Harry said as angry tears escaped his eyes.

Suddenly, the door was flung open and Harry was thrown off of Sirius Black, who now stood up, panting and gasping. Harry looked up and clenched his fists as he saw Remus embracing Black like they were old friends.

"NO! Uncle Moony!" Harry gasped.

"Harry. You must listen. Sirius, he isn't....he isn't guilty! We were wrong! We've been wrong for all these years! The proof, lies right here, in this very room!" Remus said.

Harry was shocked, "But, Uncle Moony...you--"

"I trusted you! I didn't tell anyone when I found out! I kept it a secret!" Hermione exclaimed.

"What are you talking about, Hermione?" Ron asked, bewildered, by both the pain and what was going on in the room.

Hermione fidgeted a bit, before taking a deep breath and pointing at Remus, "He's a werewolf!"

"Stay away from me!" Ron exclaimed, trying to get up but failing.

Remus' face looked paler than usual. He looked old, worn out, and very tired. He nodded, "I'm not going to come near you, Ron." He pointed his wand at Ron and bound his leg in a bandage. Remus then turned to Hermione, "So, how long have you known?"

"Since Professor Snape set us the essay," Hermione replied.

Remus laughed bitterly, "I should have known! You really are the brightest witch of your age!"

Harry turned to Remus, "How did you know we were here?"

Remus grimaced, "I knew you were going to go to Hagrid's, so I was checking the map to make sure you were safe, and then, when you were returning, I saw that there were four of you,"

"Four of us?" Ron asked.

"That's stupid! There were only three of us!" Hermione insisted.

"No. There were four."

"Who's was the fourth person then?" Harry asked.

"Peter Pettigrew," Remus replied.

"But that's impossible! He killed him!" Harry said, pointing at Black.

"No, I didn't. I meant to but Pettigrew outwitted me. Not this time, though! This time, he dies!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Padfoot, what happened... that night when Voldemort went after James and Lily?" Remus asked.

"Well, it all started when I convinced Prongs and Lily to switch Secret Keepers. At that time, it seemed like the perfect plan, a decoy. Peter wasn't ever a very smart wizard, the only reason we kept him around was because he was good at pranking. Anyway, the charm was performed and then I--"

"You led Voldemort to Pettigrew who got scared and gave the secret away!" Harry interrupted.

"I didn't," Sirius said, his eyes watery, "I couldn't do that if I tried. I loved all of you, more than anything. You were the family I never had. That night, I went to check on Peter. I wanted to see if he was alright. But when I went there, Peter wasn't there. But it was wrong. He hadn't been kidnapped, because there was no sign struggle. I waited there for a little while, and when he didn't come, I went to Godric's Hollow. Hagrid was there, he had come to take you to Dumbledore," Sirius said, nodding at Harry. "Hagrid was in tears and I saw James and Lily on the floor. J-James had a head wound and Lily didn't look much better. The house was in a right a state and Harry was calling my name. You screamed for your Mum and Dad. I told Hagrid to let me take you, but he had to take you to Dumbledore, so I gave him my bike and I started to search for Peter," Sirius paused, and took a deep breath, "I found Peter hiding in an alleyway of the street. When he saw me, he started to run. I chased him out onto the street and then he began to scream about how I had killed James and Lily and that I had betrayed them. Then, before I could curse him, he blasted the whole street and transformed into a rat. He cut off his finger before he left."

Remus scowled, "So, he framed you?"

Sirius nodded.

"Uhh....Mr...Mr Black? I you don't mind me asking, how exactly did you find out that Pettigrew hadn't died and that he was Scabbers?" Hermione asked.

"Fudge," Sirius muttered, "Fudge had the Daily Prophet with him that day. And you," Sirius pointed at Ron, "Your family were on the front page and you were holding Scabbers. Even though the picture was very small, I saw that he only had four toes on one of his feet."

"That makes sense!" Remus said excitedly, "Because the only thing they found of Pettigrew--"

"Was his finger," Harry finished. He turned to look at Ron, whose face was ashen.

"No, no! You've got the wrong rat! Scabbers has been in my family for a long time!" Ron protested.

"Twelve years, to be exact, if I'm not mistaken," Sirius began, "That's an awfully long life for a common garden rat."

"Very clever of Peter to station himself with a Wizarding family, that way he could keep an eye on the news," Remus commented.

Ron shook his head again, "We've just been taking good care of him!"

"But he hasn't been feeling too well this year has he?" Hermione asked.

Harry gasped, "Yeah! Hermione's right. Scabbers wasn't feeling well before Hermione got Crookshanks, around the time that Sirius escaped Azkaban."

All of a sudden, the door flew open and Harry turned to see Snape, looking more gleeful than ever before, "What's all this now?"

"Sir! Wait, you don't understand--"

"Shut it, Potter! You're in enough trouble as it is," Snape barked, "I know it was you, Lupin, an old friendship never wavers--"

"You'd know that, wouldn't you Snape?" Sirius interjected.

"Shut up, Sirius!" Remus hissed, "You don't under_stand, _Severus. Sirius is innocent! But, how did you find us here?"

Snape's mouth twitched into an evil grin, "I went to your office to give you your potion for the night, and I came across that map of yours. I happened to look at it and saw who was there. You're so careless, Remus, you have no idea how glad I am to be doing this, but it really _is _a pity. I was told most of the students actually liked you here."

Snape raised his wand and pointed it at Remus, but before the words could come out of his mouth, he went flying backwards. Harry, Ron and Hermione lowered their wands, having casted the Disarming Spell on him all at the same time.

Hermione gasped, horrified, "We just attacked a teacher. Oh dear! We're going to be in so much trouble!"

Harry ignored her. He turned to Sirius. "Show me that Scabbers is Peter. Prove it!"

Sirius nodded, "Give Peter to me, Ron!"

"No! How many times do I need to tell you? This is _Scabbers_!"

Sirius growled and snatched Scabbers away from Ron's grasp. The rat began to writhe and wriggle, trying to twist his way out of Sirius's tight grip.

"Moony?"

Remus nodded, brandishing his wand. There was a flash of light and a thud. Harry's eyes widened as he saw Peter Pettigrew, a chubby, balding man, whose appearance was very much the same as the rat he had been before.

Knees trembling, Pettigrew stood up and said in a shaky voice, "R-Remus, Sirius. My friends... My old friends!"

"Friends, my back foot. You wouldn't have been living as a rat if you thought you still had any!" Sirius snarled.

Pettigrew turned to Remus, his eyes pleading, "Remus, he was trying to kill me."

Remus quirked one eyebrow, "Oh? If that was true, you wouldn't have been spending twelve years as a rat when you knew Sirius was in jail,"

"I-I knew," Peter struggled as he tried to think of an answer, "Because I knew he would come after me!"

"So you knew he was going to escape Azkaban? Something nobody had even dreamt of doing before?" Remus asked.

"You-Know-Who could have taught him some tricks!" Pettigrew squeaked.

"I was never in the league with _Voldemort_," Sirius spat, grinning as Peter shivered at the name. "Are you still scared of your old master, Peter? Don't lie to me. I know it's isn't me you're hiding from. I heard things in Azkaban. They think it's your fault Voldemort broke down. All of the Death Eaters that walked free, they're all waiting to hear about you still, because if they catch a whisper that you're alive, you'll be dead before you know it!"

"B-but... I... N-no!" Peter stuttered.

"Tell the truth, Peter! Now!" Sirius thundered.

"I was s-sc-scared. The Dark Lord, he's terrifying, Sirius! But I swear I-I didn't mean to!" Peter trembled.

"Bullshit!" Sirius roared, "You betrayed them, Peter."

"I was afraid the Dark Lord was going to kill me."

"Well, Peter," Remus began gravely, "You should have realised that if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Say goodbye now, Peter,"

"Together?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know. Shouldn't we wait for Prongs? Harry, what do you think?" Remus asked.

"_Prongs? _Is James alive?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, so is my Mum. And don't kill him. I don't think my parents would want that. They suffered enough. Let the Dementors have him. If anyone deserves the kiss, it's him," Harry replied.

"You're right, Harry," Remus smiled and pointed his wand at Peter. He muttered something softly and Harry watched as ropes shot out of Remus' wand and tied Peter up.

Sirius turned to Harry, "So you don't live with the Muggles anymore?"

"Nah. I live with Mum and Dad and my sisters," Harry said as Remus conjured a stretcher for Snape.

"Sisters?" Sirius echoed.

Harry laughed at the amazement in his voice, "Yeah. Come on. I'll explain everything once we've got this mess sorted out,"

"Alright, kiddo. You do that," Sirius smiled at his godson fondly.

Sirius and Harry heaved Ron up and followed Remus out. Peter was being dragged along the floor by him.

They stepped out into the moonlight and Sirius swore as he saw Remus stiffen.

"He forgot to take his potion! Harry, take Ron and Hermione and run!" Sirius ordered.

"What about you?" Harry asked.

"I'll be safe. Don't worry," Sirius replied, "Now go!"

Harry nodded and turned towards Hermione, "You ok carrying Ron?"

She nodded and he smiled, but that smile faded as he saw Pettigrew had escaped.

"Damn it!" Harry shouted.

"Harry, come on! Let's go!" Hermione shrieked as she saw Harry's head turn as they heard the howls of a wounded dog.

Harry shook his head. "I can't leave him there, Hermione." And he ran, following the paw prints in the mud.

* * *

Harry woke in the hospital to yells and screams. He sat up slightly, carefully manoeuvring himself so he could see what was going on. McGonagall and Dumbledore were both shouting at Fudge for allowing the Dementors to perform the kiss.

"No!" Harry yelled.

Dumbledore told McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey and Fudge to go out. He asked for an explanation, and when Harry had finished, the Headmaster gave Hermione a few instructions, before walking out the door and whispering 'good luck.'

"What in the world was that about?" Harry asked baffled.

"Come here, Harry!" Hermione ordered pulling something from under her shirt. She pulled Harry closer as she turned it three times. Suddenly, they were back in the Entrance Hall.

Harry could see himself along with his two best friends, heading out in to the grounds.

"What is going on, Hermione?" Harry questioned.

"This is a time turner, Harry," Hermione replied, pointing the thing she had pulled out, "This is how I've been getting to my lessons all year. Now, what time is it?"

"What is it for?"

"It turns back the time, but time can't be meddled with. We've been sent back to get Sirius. It's seven o' clock Harry! What were we doing at seven?"

"Uhh I don't know? Going to Hagrid's?" Harry asked, and then it hit him, "Hermione! We're supposed to save Buckbeak."

"What?"

"Dumbledore said maybe more than one innocent life will be spared. That's how Sirius is going to get away!"

Harry started to pull Hermione towards Hagrid's hut. They were careful not to be seen. The things that happened next were intense and slightly freaky, like déjà vu. They watched carefully, with Buckbeak, a replay of that evening's events. Scabbers escaping, Sirius dragging Ron in, them coming back out, Remus transforming and Sirius and Harry going after him, Harry saving both himself and Sirius from the Dementors. Hermione and Harry then jumped onto Buckbeak and they flew to Flitwick's office's window, Hermione screaming along the way.

Harry jumped off Buckbeak's back and rattled the bars of the window. "It's locked!"

Hermione shook her head, "Move," She ordered. "Alohomora,"

The window swung open and Sirius shook his head, "How the--?"

"Get on!" Harry ordered.

Sirius nodded and then jumped on Buckbeak. They flew to the top of the Astronomy Tower.

"How can I thank you?" Sirius asked, getting off Buckbeak.

Harry shook his head as he and Hermione got off, "You don't have to. I'll send a letter after I've explained what happened to Mum and Dad,"

Sirius nodded and pulled him in for a hug, "Thank you." He then jumped back onto Buckbeak and smiled at Hermione, "Remus is right, you know, you truly are the brightest witch of your age."

Hermione smiled, "Bye Sirius."

Sirius nodded, and together, he and Buckbeak flew off into the night, Harry and Hermione waving, until they could see them no more.

**A/N: Good? Bad?**

**I'm so glad I finally finished this chapter :)**

**The next chapter will be up as soon as possible. I'm going to enjoy writing the next chapter a lot :)**

**Now....click that button and leave me some love :P **

**No....but seriously guys...review! :)**

**-Ishani **


	15. Chapter 15:Moony, Lily, Padfoot & Prongs

**A/N: 'Sup party people? So this is the chapter I've wanted to write forever. I'm sorry it took me so long, but I have some tests coming up so I've been busy. This chapter is dedicated to everyone who's reviewed this story! We've now got over 100 reviews! :D Don't forget to review at the end :P Hope you like the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter...**

Chapter 15: Moony, Lily, Padfoot and Prongs.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny sat on the armchairs near the fire huddled up together. Ginny was gaping at Harry as he finished re-counting the story of how they had helped Sirius escape. She was feeling shocked and happy because she had been right about the fact that Sirius wasn't a murderer.

"So you're saying that Sirius Black was imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Harry replied, stretching. It was late, around midnight and they were leaving today. Harry grinned. He couldn't wait to tell his parents and his grandma.

"Wow. That's horrible!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Yeah I know. But all the evidence was against him so there wasn't much anyone could do," Harry told her.

"To think, that rat I took care of was actually a filthy little ba-" Ron began.

"Watch your mouth Ronald!" Hermione reprimanded.

Ron sighed, "Ginny's right. You do sound like Mum."

"Shut up you two!" Ginny said, annoyed, she then turned to Harry, "But I thought you said Peter was the Secret Keeper because Sirius suggested it? If Sirius had been in the league with Voldemort he wouldn't have done that, right?"

"Well, I don't know. If you think about it, it looks as though Sirius is more likely to do something like that. Peter would have been such an unreliable source that if anyone had cornered him, he would have blabbed, so they probably thought Sirius took him to Voldemort. Peter seems too spineless to be in the league with Voldemort anyway,"

"So Peter actually had thought this out, huh?" Ginny asked.

"Seems like it," Harry sighed, "I just hate the fact that he escaped,"

Hermione pursed her lips, "I wouldn't worry about that now, Harry. He'll get his comeuppance one day, and you have other things to think about, don't you?"

Harry smiled at her, "Yeah, you're right, Hermione."

"When is she not?" Ron grumbled.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "I just can't believe Snape blabbed about Professor Lupin being a werewolf! That man has some nerve!"

"Well I'm not surprised to be honest. It's Snape. What can you expect? But Uncle Moony is upset with himself for not taking the potion, and then endangering pupils. He says it isn't a surprise either and that he's used to losing jobs," Harry replied.

"That's sick. And so racist! He only has his little problem once a month and then besides that he's completely normal!" Ginny scowled.

"Yeah. Snape's the freak," Ron agreed.

"Tell me something I don't know," Harry sighed, "But I have other things to worry about now. I told Uncle Remus not to tell Mum and Dad about Sirius yet. I'm going to arrange a meeting between them, so they can sort things out,"

"So Sirius didn't know your parents were alive?" Hermione asked.

"No. When he was imprisoned, they hadn't found out my parents were still alive, and even if they had, it hadn't been printed. And it was mainly about me, you know that Boy Who Lived shi-, I mean uhh...stuff. So yeah, he was shocked to hear my parents were alive. Once I get things sorted out, I reckon it's going to be a pretty good summer," Harry grinned.

"Yup! And I know what will make it even better," Ron said, "The Quidditch World Cup is going to be hosted in England this year and Dad's going to get tickets to see the match. You should come too!"

"That would be cool! I'm pretty sure Dad will get tickets as well," Harry replied.

"Well I'm going to bed," Hermione stated.

"Yeah, me too," Harry and Ron said together.

"You coming, Ginny?" Hermione asked turning around.

"No, you go. I'll come in a little while," Ginny replied and smiled as the trio headed to bed. It was nice to end the year with a positive note. The fact that Sirius was innocent proved that loyalty still existed in the world. She yawned and headed upstairs to bed, wondering exactly how she had known Sirius was innocent.

* * *

An owl arrived for Harry on the train ride home. The small owl that came in flew right into one of the seats and began fluttering around excitedly. It took a minute for Harry to calm the bird down enough so he could take the letter from his leg.

He opened it and grinned as he said, "It's from Sirius!" And he began to read the letter out aloud.

"**Dear Harry, I don't know how to thank you for helping me escape that night. Fudge wouldn't have let me explain things and would have ordered the Dementors to give me the kiss. If it hadn't been for you, Ron and Hermione, I would have been worse than dead. Just to let you know, I was the one who sent you the Firebolt-**"

"What did I tell you?" Hermione said smugly.

"Yeah, but he hadn't jinxed it had he?" Harry retorted and went back to reading the letter. "**I watched you play Quidditch in my furrier form once or twice and I was amazed! I knew James was a great flyer. Ah, forget great, he was incredible, but you're even better than James was. I saw you lose your broom to the Whomping Willow and I thought this was a good way to repay you for all the birthdays and Christmases I missed. Also this owl, well, since I was the reason your friend Ron lost his pet, I thought that he might want to keep him. He's small, but very eager. I hope he likes him-**"

"Awesome. Tell Sirius I said 'thanks', please!" Ron exclaimed.

Harry smiled and nodded as he continued, "**Now, the letter you sent me makes sense. I understand you need to talk to James and Lily first, but I think it would also be good if you let me talk to them. I can meet you anywhere in my...furrier form, as Snuffles. I still can't believe they're alive! I'll understand if they don't forgive me, I just need to see them once, first. Send me a reply with the time and the destination and I'll be there.**"

Harry looked up from the letter, "I guess he's right. If Uncle Sirius tells the story then he'll have Uncle Moony and me to back him up. It'll be easier to persuade them,"

"That actually does make sense. Good Luck, Harry!" Hermione said.

Harry laughed, "Yeah, thanks,"

The train pulled up at King's Cross station a little while later. Harry jumped out of the train and started to drag his trunk towards where his parents were standing. When he reached them, he said his goodbyes and hugged Hermione, Ginny and Mrs Weasley, before turning to his parents.

"You brought Biscuits here?" Harry grinned.

"Yup! I think you accomplished something this year, Harry," James said.

"Really?" Harry asked surprised, "What?"

"Well, you didn't end the school year in the hospital," James replied.

Harry laughed, everyone else joining in, "Very funny, Dad,"

"I know."

"Alright, guys, let's take this home," Lily smiled.

"Yeah, and then you can tell us all about Sirius's escape," James said, leading his family out of the station.

Harry hid a smile, "I think I will."

* * *

When Harry got home, James had to leave for work because Kingsley wanted them to search for Sirius. Lily and Dorea were teaching the twins some magic, so Harry took this opportunity to get to work immediately. He went to Daisy.

"Daisy, can you control who can Floo in and out of Potter Manor?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Harry, you can. Does you want to make some changes?" Daisy answered.

"Yes, please," Harry nodded.

Daisy pursed her lips, she was as much of a mother hen as Lily and Dorea, "Why does you want to make these changes?"

"Well, we found out that Sirius is innocent. At the end of the year, Uncle Remus and I learned that Sirius was wrongly accused. He was framed by Peter Pettigrew, who is still alive. He needs to talk to Mum and Dad, but he can't come unless he's allowed to and I'm pretty sure he's been blocked," Harry explained.

"Ok. So what is it that you wants to do?" Daisy asked.

"I need you to allow Sirius to Floo in here and ban Peter Pettigrew," Harry said.

"Ok," Daisy nodded, she stood in front of the fireplace and muttered a few words. A light green gleam came from the fireplace and Daisy, satisfied, turned to Harry and grinned, "Anything else you wants, Harry?"

"Yes. Please don't tell Mum and Dad," Harry pleaded.

"Fine. But I is expecting an explanation later on. And I is expecting you to tell your parents too," Daisy said sternly.

"Alright," Harry replied, saluting her.

Daisy rolled her eyes, "Would you like some food too?"

"No thanks, Daisy," Harry replied, and he started to drag his trunk upstairs.

"What is you doing?" Daisy asked in alarm.

"I need to talk to Uncle Remus. Is he upstairs?" Harry asked.

"Yes, but why is you taking your luggage upstairs? That is our job," Daisy said.

"No, I'll do it Daisy. You and Dotty have a lot of work to do as it is," Harry smiled.

Daisy shook her head, "Ok, Harry, would you is liking anything else?"

Harry shook his head and continued to drag his chest upstairs to his room. Once he was there, he took a piece of parchment and started writing.

_Dear Snuffles,_

_Mum and Dad don't know anything yet. I told Daisy to change the people who are allowed to Floo in the house. You can Floo to Potter Manor as soon as you're ready. You can hide as Snuffles until I tell them._

_Love,_

_Harry._

He folded it and tied to Hedwig's leg, telling her to give it to him as soon as possible. Hedwig nipped his fingers and flew out the window. Harry then turned, grinning in anticipation, and walked towards Remus' room. He knocked on the door and his grin widened as he heard a faint 'come in.'

Harry opened the door and went in, "Hey, Uncle Remus,"

"Hi, kiddo," Remus replied, smiling at Harry, "Come and sit down."

Harry smiled at his uncle, sat on the bed and said, "I just sent a letter to Snuffles. Mum and Grandma are busy and Dad's at work, so I thought I should get this over and done with as soon as I could."

"That's good, Harry. I think James has missed Sirius. I don't think your parents ever really believed that Sirius betrayed them," Remus told him.

"Well, if that's true, then it'll be easier for them to believe him, but you'd better hold Dad back. He'll probably try to kill Sirius before we get more than two words in."

"True," Remus laughed. "But you're working very fast."

"Yeah. I don't want Sirius living on the streets. He deserves more than that," Harry replied.

"That he does," Remus smiled. "I'm sure once James and Lily find out he was innocent, they'll let him stay here."

"Really? Cool!" Harry exclaimed, but then his smile faltered, "You ok, Uncle Remus?"

"Yeah. I just hate the fact that I didn't realise Sirius was innocent. I didn't believe it; I didn't want to believe it. I don't know why I did."

"I think it was because Pettigrew was assumed to be dead. Well, murdered," Harry told him.

"Well, I think I'll let you get on with research now. I'm going to go a play with Arya and Iris or Biscuits for a little while."

"Alright then. I'll be down soon," Remus smiled.

"Oh good. I don't want to face Dad's anger alone," Harry joked as he walked towards the door.

"I don't blame you," Remus laughed and shook his head. '_This ought to be interesting.' _He thought, as he continued reading.

Harry bounded down the stairs to find Biscuits only to find him playing with a rather familiar looking dog.

"Snuffles?" Harry asked.

Harry waited a minute as Sirius changed back into his human form. "Yup, I just Flooed here about a minute ago,"

"Does Daisy know you're here?" Harry questioned as he kneeled down beside Biscuits.

"Yeah. She was just about to call you, actually," Sirius replied.

"Oh, cool. Dad will be home in about five minutes, so I'll tell everyone then. They'll be coming down. You can hang here as Snuffles for the time being and play with Biscuits if you want," Harry suggested.

"Biscuits?" Sirius laughed.

"Yeah, I know, I know. But I was a kid. Give me a break!" Harry blushed.

"I think I will stay in my Animagus form, but I'll hide here for a little while and then come out when I'm ready. And anyway both Lily and James know what I look like as Padfoot so..." Sirius trailed off.

"Ok. I'll tell them as soon as Dad comes home," Harry nodded.

Sirius smiled at his godson before changing back into his Animagus form, and started to play with Biscuits again. Harry grinned as he watched them play-fight.

"Harry?" Daisy knocked on the living room door, "Mistresses Lily and Dorea said they is both coming down along with Master Remus. James is also coming in a minute."

"Oh. Ok, Thanks Daisy," Harry smiled.

"You is welcome, dear," Daisy replied, smiling back.

Harry gave Snuffles a reassuring smile just as Lily, Dorea and Remus entered the room, followed by an exhausted looking James. Remus stepped behind James, winked at Harry and quietly pulled James's wand out of his pocket.

"Hey, Kiddo, who's that dog?" James asked, sitting down.

"Hmm? Oh, the dog. Well, I found him outside and Biscuits got on with him very well, so I thought why not," Harry replied, wringing his hands.

"Honey? Are you ok? You seem jumpy," Lily asked worriedly.

"Who, me? Oh I'm fine, thank you, Mum. I need to tell you something, though," Harry said.

"Uh oh! What did you do? Did you break something?" Dorea asked, teasingly.

"No! What gave you that idea?" Harry pouted.

"You just have a look on your face that suggests you did something wrong," James said, raising his eyebrows .

"Well, not wrong exactly," Harry said.

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"We uhh...Well, we found out that Sirius Black is innocent," Harry said.

"YOU WHAT?" James thundered. No one noticed Snuffles sneak out of the room.

"Umm...Uncle Remus? A little help here, please?" Harry pleaded.

Remus nodded, "Sirius really is innocent. Harry, Ron and Hermione had gone to visit Hagrid, as we had expected, and as I had the Map on me at the time, I was looking out for any dangers. There were three people on the way to Hagrid's, but there were four on the way back-"

"Sirius?" Lily interrupted.

"No. Not me, Pettigrew," Sirius entered the room, brushing a bit of fur off of his torn clothes.

"I...How...WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT BASTARD DOING IN MY HOUSE?" James roared.

"WATCH YOUR MOUTH, JAMES!" Lily shrieked.

But James wasn't listening. He'd lunged at Sirius, whose eyes had widened as a fist came flying out of nowhere and landed right on his nose, blood spurting out.

"Heck, Prongs! You still have that bloody temper!" Sirius exclaimed.

"DON'T FUCKING TALK TO ME! YOU BETRAYED US! YOU ALMOST GOT US MURDERED!" James growled and leapt at Sirius again.

They rolled on the floor, lunging at each other. Fists flying, they continued to fight. Their grunts and groans rang out loud at times, followed by swearing. They fought for around five minutes until, a loud bang and a flash of white light later, they were both separated and at opposite ends of the room, inspecting their injuries.

"Thanks, Mum," Harry smiled at Lily, who was clutching her wand with a satisfied smirk on her face.

"Anytime."

"Dad...Didn't you hear us say Uncle Sirius is innocent?" Harry asked.

"Explain!" James demanded roughly, taking a seat on one of the armchairs.

Harry nodded and began to explain the events of the day, "We went down to Hagrid's because we knew he was upset about Buckbeak. Hermione found Scabbers over there and then we saw the executioner was coming with Fudge and Dumbledore, so we slipped out of the back door. We went up the hill, a short distance from the Whomping Willow. Then suddenly, Scabbers bit Ron and started to scamper away, so he ran after him and caught him. Sirius was in his Animagus form and he leapt towards Ron and grabbed his foot. He dragged him in so Hermione and I followed. We reached the room upstairs and saw Sirius. I umm...tried to uhh... kill him but then Uncle Moony came and they embraced like old friends. When I asked what was going on, they told us Scabbers was Peter, and we thought they were barking mad because Sirius was imprisoned for killing him twelve years ago, but it turns out that Peter Pettigrew actually faked his own death. When Sirius thought you had died, he went looking for Peter. When he found him, Peter shouted out in front of dozens of Muggles that Sirius had betrayed us and then he blasted the whole street, transformed into a rat and has been living with the Weasleys ever since."

"But they found his finger?" Lily asked confused.

"Yeah. The arsehole cut it off himself. He was cleverer than we gave him credit for, Lily," Sirius answered.

"Language!" Dorea trilled.

"Show me Pettigrew," James commanded.

"We can't, James. He escaped," Remus told him.

"How?" Lily asked, perching herself on the arm of the couch.

"I had forgotten to take my medicine that night and it happened to be full moon. I transformed, and in the chaos it caused, Pettigrew escaped. But it really happened, I swear," Remus replied.

Lily nodded and got up and went to Sirius, "Welcome back, Padfoot."

Sirius smiled at Lily. She had always been somewhat of a sister to him. "I missed you, Lils," he said, embracing her.

"Oh that's right. Forget about your best mate, why don't you!" James joked, pouting.

Sirius walked forward, "I thought you were dead all this time, Prongs. I thought you were dead."

"I'm sorry, Padfoot, I shouldn't have doubted you. Ever," James said, embracing his best friend.

Sirius blinked back tears as he hugged Dorea, "Hey, Mum."

"Oh you never change, do you?" Dorea asked, dabbing her eyes.

Sirius shook his head laughing, "I'm so sorry about Charles."

"Yes, me too." Dorea sighed, truly wishing her husband was alive and with them now, "You can see him in the Portrait Gallery later. He's sleeping now."

"Is Uncle Sirius going to stay with us?" Harry asked.

"Yup, Padfoot's not going anywhere," James replied.

"So what's this I hear about Harry having sisters?" Sirius enquired.

"Well why don't we go upstairs and we'll fill you in?" Lily suggested.

"Alrighty then, kids! I'll tell Dotty and Daisy to bring some snacks up. I'm sure they want to, Sirius," Dorea said, walking towards the kitchen.

Remus grinned at Harry, "Well, that went well."

Harry grinned back at his uncle, "Yeah, it did!"

"Let's go upstairs and make sure Sirius knows about what you did in your first and second years at Hogwarts. He'll be happy to know that his Godson is following our footsteps," Remus chuckled.

Harry nodded and laughed as he followed his Uncle upstairs. This summer vacation was going to be brilliant!

**A/N: So I hope that was a good chapter! ****Let me know what you thought :) **

**I think the next chapter will be when the Marauders give Harry 'the talk' so if you have any suggestions or something you'd like me to include, let me know ;)**

**Have a great week everyone!**

**-Ishani x**


	16. Chapter 16:Summer Vacation

**A/N: Hi everyone, sorry for the huge delay. I had so many tests and school got in the way again. But this chapter is longer (8,000+ words...eek!) and I have included a lot more description. Ohh and before I forget, there's a poll on my profile page about who Harry should date. Please vote! A huge thanks to my beta ****Ginny Guerra once again! Hope you like the chapter...meet you at the bottom! :)**

**Disclaimer: Still no luck...maybe next time?**

Chapter 16: Summer Vacation with the Marauders.

Harry didn't expect much of a change in the house now that there were three Marauders instead of two, but it turned out that he was wrong.

Sirius had been updated with the events of the past twelve years. He had been given his old room back. Sirius had told Harry that he had run away from home when he was younger and had stayed with James. The Black family had practically disowned Sirius when he had been placed in Gryffindor. Sirius had also never shown much preference for their beliefs. He had, in fact, opposed to supporting the dark wizards his family loved. Dorea and Charles were delighted and happily accepted him as one of their own.

Sirius had moved into his new room and he, Remus and James had gone to Sirius's old house: Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, the house Sirius had now inherited from his dead parents as he was the only Black left. They had found his wand and all of his essentials, which they brought back. Sirius had then given James and Lily money to buy him new clothes and he had gotten a haircut. His pale, waxy face soon regained its colour and he also got the light back into his eyes.

As promised, Harry had started to work on his Animagus forms. Lily had made the potion as she had always been better at it than the rest of the Marauders. Sirius and Remus were more than happy to help Harry with his transformation. What happened confused the adults, though. Instead of just seeing one animal, Harry had seen a wolf, a phoenix, an owl and a lion. They decided to start with the phoenix.

Harry also found Sirius had stories from his days as a Marauder. Sirius also loved Arya and Iris, who loved to play with him as Snuffles. They worked on Harry's transformation a lot because Sirius knew how hard it was to accomplish. Harry had been told that, as he had learnt elemental and wandless magic when he was younger, it would be easier for him as he didn't need a wand. But it had been sixteen days, and his patience was wearing out.

Harry flopped on the couch, huffing.

Sirius raised his eyebrow at Harry, "You can't give up now! We told you it's going to take time. It took James and I almost two years to complete it."

"But I don't seem to do anything! I'm not even changing colour!" Harry groaned.

"We can take a break if you want. How about we go and play with Arya and Iris...or, hey! we could play Quidditch!" Sirius suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," Harry agreed, jumping up.

After a few hours of both playing with his sisters and then Quidditch, Harry sat with his father and Sirius in the living room. Harry tried his Animagus form a little while and then sat down exhausted.

"Really, Harry, you'll get it eventually," James insisted.

Harry made a face, "Eventually?"

"Patience, young one," Sirius said, in a serious voice. Harry erupted in giggles, followed by the Marauders.

"So, Dad, how was work?" Harry asked.

"Fine. We're still looking for Sirius. I have no idea where he is, so I haven't really been much help towards the project," James grinned slyly. "But the Ministry isn't that worried about Sirius because Fudge is pretty embarrassed that Sirius escaped right from under his nose,"

Sirius grinned, "Never underestimate a kid, huh?"

"So what happened to Buckbeak?" Lily asked.

"Hagrid has him back now. He's thrilled, obviously, but changed his name from Buckbeak to Wutherwings so that no one gets suspicious."

Harry laughed, "That's cool and very Hagrid."

Lily smiled as she stepped into the room, Arya and Iris waddling after her, "What're you doing?"

"Talking," James smiled at his wife.

"About what?" Dorea asked.

"Uhh...About Hagrid," Harry replied.

"Well that's ok then. I never know with you," Dorea said fondly.

"Oh c'mon Mum! We're adults now!" James said.

"So? Does that mean we can't have fun?" Sirius asked.

Remus grinned as he sat on an armchair, "No it doesn't!"

"Hey, James, do you remember when you were trying to slip a Love Potion in Lily's drink?" Sirius asked.

James groaned, "No."

"Well, let me refresh your memory!" Sirius smiled, he turned to Harry.

"This was in fifth year and your Dad really liked Lils, but she hated him, with passion. So one day he got up early and went down to breakfast before everyone else," Sirius began.

James made a face, and then joined in, "I poured some love potion in Lily's drink and she comes down with her friends about five minutes later."

"But it so happened that Lily had heard James telling us about the plan the night before, so she switched glasses with him when he wasn't looking. Now James gulped down his drink and a few minutes later he was kissing himself."

"Kissing himself?" Harry asked laughing.

"Yup...he got out his pocket mirror and he was kissing himself. The Gryffindor table were totally silent for a few seconds and then we heard him talking to the mirror," Sirius paused.

"He talked to the mirror?" Harry asked between gasps as he struggled to breathe, because he was laughing so hard.

"You should have seen him! He was all like 'oh who's the prettiest boy? You are! Yes you are!' and everyone else was wondering what had happened to him. Then he stands up on the chair and starts to sing." Sirius stopped as roars of laugher filled the room, "He starts to sing 'I'm in love!' Dumbledore found this hilarious, of course, so he chuckled and asked James who. Most of the girls are all practically hyperventilating in their seats hoping it's them, but then James giggles and points to himself and goes 'Me, because I'm the beautiful-est boy in the world! You know what? I'm going to ask me out and then get me some flowers! But don't tell me! I want it to be a surprise!' Then he skips out the Hall. The Hall goes completely silent until I say 'well there's something you don't see every day,' and Lily snorts and says 'what? If you haven't seen James praise himself endlessly, then you obviously don't know him at all.'" Sirius grinned.

Harry grinned back, "What happened next?"

"Well he continued like this for the whole day," Remus sighed, "And then the next morning we told him what had happened and he was obviously embarrassed. He laughed it off as usual. So when he walked into the Hall, a few girls held out their mirrors in front of him and one asked him whether he's dating himself, to which James replied 'date? Heck no! I'd marry me,' then he winked and said 'I'd marry you too,' then she giggled and he had a date for the next Hogsmeade trip."

Lily rolled her eyes. She's forgotten how much of a player her husband used to be. She turned to face him and her eyes softened when he mouthed 'I love you' to her.

"Woah, Dad! Smooth!" Harry exclaimed, "I wish I could do that."

"Harry, I think it's time we had the talk," James suggested.

"What? But we've already had _that_ talk," Harry said internally groaning.

"No not _that_ talk. The other talk," James replied to Harry, sending Lily a meaningful look.

Lily bit back a laugh at the look of alarm on her son's face and smiled at Dorea, "Hmm...You know what? I think I'm going to check what Daisy and Dotty are making for dinner, and I think I'll get Arya and Iris to eat now too. Are you coming Dorea?"

Dorea gave Lily a knowing look and nodded, playing along, "Yes, I think I will! You have fun now, boys!"

Harry waited until his mother, grandmother and sisters were out of earshot before sighing, "How many _talks_ are there?"

Sirius frowned, "I'm not sure. But this one is just as important as the one you had before."

"Okay," Harry said sighing again.

"So, Harry," Remus said quirking an eyebrow, "Is there any girl in your life that you have a little crush on?"

"No," Harry replied, too quickly, turning red.

James smirked, "Uh huh. What's her name?"

"Cho Chang," Harry replied, blushing, "She's in the year above mine-"

"An older lady, huh? That's hot!" Sirius exclaimed, interrupting.

Harry went redder as he continued, "Uhh, yeah. She's really pretty. She has long black hair and black eyes."

"So...are you going to ask her out?" Sirius asked.

"I uhh...I don't think...I mean I don't know how...I mean...I uhh...No," Harry stuttered.

"See, I told you it was time for the talk," James said triumphantly. He paused and then said, "Asking a girl out definitely isn't easy,"

Remus nodded in agreement, "Especially if you're shy or if this is your first crush. So you have to act somewhat normal."

"Girls normally tend to travel in groups or packs. They're kind of predictable that way, so the most nerve-wracking thing is to ask to talk to the girl alone. Once you've done that, start a conversation," Sirius said.

"About what?" Harry asked, worried.

James smiled at his son's tense expression, "Say hello or ask her a question, or give her a compliment. If you know her quite well, then you could talk about something you know she likes."

"Then when the conversation flows, ask her out." Remus continued.

"But how?" Harry questioned.

"C'mon, dude! You're Harry Potter! All you have to do is ask her: 'Cho, will you go on a date with me?' and she'll say yes!" Sirius exclaimed.

"But what if she says no?" Harry said, looking up at his father with worried eyes.

"Then you just say 'oh okay, I just thought we'd have fun. Maybe another time then' Say bye and walk off. Then the girl will go and talk to her friends about what a sweet guy you are. Girls are really predictable that way."

"Oh," Harry said.

Sirius laughed, "Oh, and when you're dating a girl you have to treat her well. As in treat her special."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, puzzled.

"Well, you should always compliment her, and give her flowers. Be a proper gentlemen and hold open doors for her, and pull out her chair so that she can sit down. Then love notes are always a nice thing to send. Oh, and if you take her out to a cafe or something, make sure you pay!" James instructed.

Sirius nodded at Harry, "Oh and for the first kiss, always start with a short, closed mouth one. Save the tongue for later, you know?" Sirius winked.

Harry blushed a bit more, "Err...right,"

"And don't ever open your eyes when you're kissing a girl. It's just wrong," Remus said.

"Oh, it's normally a good idea to kiss her when you say goodnight," Sirius told Harry.

"If you haven't kissed yet, give her a sweet kiss on the cheek or the forehead," James smiled.

"Now we need to talk about one more thing," Remus began.

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"Sex," Sirius replied.

Harry groaned. This was going to be a nightmare. He sank back on the couch. This was definitely the most humiliating experience ever. His Dad wouldn't let him get out of it because it was important. Once he was prepared in every possible way (Sirius had had too much fun explaining the techniques and positions), they headed down to the kitchen just in time for dinner.

Lily smiled at Harry, "Well did you have a nice talk?"

Harry gave her an incredulous look, "No! That was the longest hour of my life!"

The table erupted with laugher. After Harry finished his dinner, he ran up to his room. Just as he walked in, Hedwig flew in and landed on his windowsill with a soft hoot. Harry smiled at her, "Hey, girl, what's that you've got over there?"

She held out her leg so he could take the letter. Once the letter was in his hand, Harry ripped open the envelope and grinned as he read it.

**Dear Harry,**

**You won't believe this, but Dad got tickets to the Quidditch World Cup Final! He managed to get them through some Ministry contacts. Anyway, he got tickets for everyone****, including you, your Mum, Dad, Grandma and Professor Lupin.**

**Mum's asking if you can come and stay with us two or three days before the match so we can get ready. Bill and Charlie are coming too! So is Hermione, so this is going to be amazing!**

**Tell Snuffles that the owl he got me is a right laugh. We named him Pig, he's just one small crazy bird. He's always so excited. Ginny was the one who named him Pigwidgeon, she thought it was cute, I thought it was stupid. Anyway, now he won't answer to anything else so the name kind of stuck. Percy got a job at the Ministry for Magic, and I swear he's in love with his boss. He keeps on going on about Mr Crouch. It's driving me mad. He won't shut up about it. He's almost as annoying as Hermione when she nags me about my homework.**

**Well, I hope I'll see you soon! Write back soon!**

**Ron**

Harry raced down the stairs and thrust the letter into James's arms, "Look at what Ron sent me!"

James read the letter quickly, when he finished, his grin was as wide as his son's, "Arthur got tickets!"

"So can we go?" Harry asked impatiently.

"Of course we can," James said and turned to his wife, mother and friends, "Arthur got us the tickets!"

"Really?" Sirius sighed, "Damn! I wish I could go!"

Harry frowned, "Are we allowed to take pets to the stadium?"

Lily smiled, "As a matter of fact, you are. We can take Snuffles and Biscuits!"

"Awesome! So I'll write back to Ron telling him we're all coming!" Harry grinned.

James and Lily nodded together, "Tell him to tell Arthur that we'll be paying for our tickets."

Harry nodded and ran up the stairs. He dug out a fresh piece of parchment, a bottle of ink and a quill from his dresser drawer and wrote back to Ron.

_Ron,_

_Thanks for the invite! We're definitely coming, with Snuffles! We are allowed to take pets to the stadium so we can take him. Mum and Dad say that they are paying for our tickets, so you need to tell me the price._

_When do you want us to come? I really can't wait!_

_Harry_

_

* * *

_

That night, Harry woke up with a start. His scar was burning, his breathing was heavy. He trembled slightly and Biscuits sensing his discomfort, jumped on the bed to cuddle with him. Harry closed his eyes again, attempting to sleep, but it was no use the dream was too close to the surface. Groaning, Harry threw off the covers and headed to his parents' room. He tiptoed quietly past Arya and Iris' room, so he wouldn't wake them up. Opening the door slowly, Harry went in and shook James awake.

"Dad? Wake up," Harry said softly.

James opened one eye, "Harry? What time is it? What's wrong?"

"It's two in the morning. I had a nightmare. I need to talk to you and Mum about it," Harry replied.

"A nightmare? Okay. Lily? Lils. Wake up." James said gently shaking his wife awake, "Harry had a nightmare."

Lily opened her eyes quickly; her head turning to see whether her baby boy was alright. She sat up in bed, "C'mere, honey. What's wrong?" she said, patting the bed.

Harry sat down and began to explain, "I had a dream. Well at least I think it was a dream. My scar was hurting when I woke up,"

James ran a hand through his hair, looking at his son worriedly, "What happened in that dream, kiddo?"

"Well, in the dream, I was seeing a Muggle called Frank Bryce. It was set in the village of Little Hangleton. He was thinking about how at the Riddle House, fifty years ago, three Riddles had been murdered. No one exactly knows what happened to them, but they happened to be in perfect health before they died, so no one understands how they died either. He was the caretaker of the mansion. He was brought in for questioning, they couldn't prove anything, but that didn't stop the villagers from blaming him anyway. Then it went back to present day. He woke up because his leg was bothering him. He had an injury from the war. He saw that the lights from the old Riddle house were on, and he thought that some kids were messing around in there. He went in there to investigate but then he heard voices. There was a high-pitched, hoarse voice and Wormtail. The voice asks Wormtail where Nagini is, because she needs to be milked so he can be fed. He tells Wormtail that they are to stay until the Quidditch World Cup is over. Then Wormtail said something about me. He asks whether something can be done without me but the voice says no and that he wants me. That's when I realised it was Voldemort. They said something about a woman called Bertha Jorkins who they had killed, but the information that they had gotten from her was very valuable. Then a snake slithered up the stairs and into the room and Voldemort started talking to it. Nagini told Voldemort that there was a Muggle listening to everything on the staircase. He ordered Wormtail to turn his chair. There wasn't much on the chair really, whatever it was; it was the remains of Voldemort, I think. He didn't really have a body, but he was able to hold the wand, because he killed Frank. Then I woke up and my scar began to prickle," Harry said quickly, looking down.

Lily gasped as he finished. Harry looked up at his parents and saw they had both become paler. There was a tense silence for a few seconds before Lily spoke, "And you dreamt this?"

Harry nodded nervously, "I think it might have happened in reality, though. I was taking my Divination test when I overheard Trelawney make a prediction. I knew it was real this time because she looked different. Her eyes went all glassy and her body was rigid. She said that a loyal servant would escape and help Voldemort return to power. I was so caught up with what was happening with Sirius, that I forgot about it and didn't give it much thought. B-but Peter was the one helping Voldemort this time and he got away that night."

"That rat's going to fucking die the next time I see him!" James exclaimed coldly.

Lily glared at James, before turning and grimacing slightly Harry, "Alright, sweetheart, why don't you head back to bed? Dad and I will talk to Dumbledore in the morning."

"Okay. Thanks, Mum, Dad. G'night." Harry smiled, glad he had gotten that off his chest.

"'Night, Sport." James smiled back at his son, fervently hoping that the dream his son had, really was a dream.

"Oh and, Harry?" Lily called as he left.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for telling us," Lily said.

Harry shrugged, "It's alright. I just really hope that it was a dream,"

* * *

A few weeks later, after what seemed like ages, it was time to go the Quidditch World Cup. They were taking a Portkey from the Weasleys' house itself as they were staying there the evening before. Harry had a brilliant time there. As Ron had told him before, Percy really had become addicted to his work. Almost every time he spoke, he said something about Mr Crouch. He was quite disgruntled when Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were "making too much of a racket" as they headed up to their rooms. Harry also got a chance to meet Ron's two eldest brothers, Bill and Charlie. He got along with both very well, and thought both were extremely cool. He ended up sitting in the middle of Ginny and Bill at dinner. But before that, Harry, his parents and Remus had something to say.

Harry cleared his throat slightly, standing up, smiling slightly as Ginny, Hermione and Ron all gave him re-assuring smiles, "Er... Excuse me. I have some sort of announcement to make," he said awkwardly.

Everyone stopped talking as they turned around to face him, slightly shocked as they saw he was standing next to a large dog.

James sat a little straighter as he said, "I'm aware that only Ginny, Hermione and Ron know about this, so I want to ask you to keep an open mind about this and not to jump to conclusions. I also need you to promise not to tell any of the authorities."

Percy quirked an eyebrow and frowned in disapproval, "Why? Are you doing something against the law?"

Lily grimaced, "Well in a way yes, the Ministry doesn't know the whole truth and they refuse to listen to it. Can we trust you to keep it a secret?"

Everyone agreed and Harry took that as his cue to start explaining.

"Well, thirteen years ago, Dumbledore told my parents to go into hiding under the protection of the Fidelius Charm. Almost immediately they knew to choose Sirius Black as their Secret Keeper, but there was a last minute change of plans, and they switched to Peter Pettigrew. They thought no one would suspect someone like him, because he was so weak and that Voldemort-" Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes as almost all everyone shuddered at the name, "would go after Sirius. But it turned out that Peter Pettigrew was working for Voldemort as a spy and we didn't know this until recently." Harry paused again and took a deep breath as he continued, "Sirius dragged Ron into the Shrieking Shack hoping Hermione and I would follow. We did and then Remus came minutes later."

Remus nodded, "I was surprised to find out that there was one more person in there with us, someone that everyone here knew as Scabbers."

Bill looked surprised, "Scabbers? As in Percy's old rat?"

"That would be the one, except his name isn't Scabbers," Harry said, nodding.

James stepped forward, "When we were in school, we found out about Remus being a werewolf. Sirius and I noticed that he always disappeared the when it was full moon. When we confronted him, he admitted it and we wanted to help him. Of course, we knew that the transformations were pretty painful, so we decided to become Animagi so we could be there when he transformed. It took us two years to complete. I became a stag, Peter became a rat and Sirius became a scruffy, black dog."

Everyone looked at the dog next to Harry, who nodded, "This is Sirius. But he isn't the one who murdered those Muggles or the one who betrayed us. He's innocent and he was framed."

Ron clenched his fists, "Remember, the only thing they found of Pettigrew was his finger. He cut it off before transforming into a rat and running down a sewer after Sirius chased him."

"So, why is Sirius sill a wanted criminal?" Charlie asked puzzled.

Remus's face contorted in pain, "Well, that night I had forgotten to take my potion. We were leaving the shack with Peter, but then I transformed and Peter escaped in the disarray."

"So we had no witnesses, so Fudge refused to believe that Sirius was innocent," James sighed.

Everyone was rather silent for a few seconds. Ginny, on the other hand, felt happy, she walked up to Sirius and much to his surprise, she gave him a hug.

"I told Harry that you were innocent a few months ago. He probably thought I was mad, and probably do too, but I'm very glad you escaped and I'm sure your name will be cleared soon,"

"Uhh thanks," Sirius said grinning, "It's Ginny, right?"

Ginny smiled, "Yes, Mr Black."

"It's Sirius."

Harry grinned as he took his seat again at the table. That had gone very well. Dinner was also quite a pleasant event that evening. Percy continued to chatter about Mr Crouch. Then he began to grumble about Ludo Bagman, who was the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, and how they weren't giving enough support to Mr Crouch. Percy then mentioned how careless Bagman was being as someone had gone missing from his department for a very long time. Harry's eyes widened as Percy mentioned Bertha Jorkins's name. His eyes flashed to his father and mother, who were both looking at each other in alarm, when they saw Harry looking, Lily gave him a slight nod and a small smile and Harry understood that his parents were telling him not to worry.

Bill, who was slightly sick of hearing Percy complain, turned to Harry, "So it's nice to finally meet you Harry! I've heard so much about you from Ron, Ginny, Fred and George. I want to thank you for saving my sister's life."

Harry smiled at Bill, "I'd do it again in a heartbeat. It wasn't her fault,"

"Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one trying to convince her," Bill grinned.

After dinner, Harry found out that Fred and George were in trouble with Mrs Weasley because they hadn't received as many OWLs as she had expected and had started to invent their own products for their joke shop _(Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes) _instead. The Weasley family were very shocked to find that the loud _bangs _and _booms_ were actually because of the experiments the twins were conducting. They then talked about the World Cup and about the Ireland versus Bulgaria Final, which they were attending to the next day.

The sleeping arrangements were rather crowded as the Weasley house was hosting so many people. Harry, Ron, Fred and George were in Ron's room, James, Remus, Bill, Charlie and Sirius were in Fred and George's room, Lily and Hermione were sleeping in Ginny's room while Percy got his room to himself as he had to work.

Ginny didn't feel sleepy at all. She was far too excited about the match. However, after hours of tossing and turning, she finally drifted off to sleep. But then the nightmares kicked in and Ginny shuddered in her sleep as she revisited the night she was drawn into the Chamber of Secrets. She buried her face in the pillow as she saw how Tom Riddle tormented her slowly. He whispered things to her, telling her that she was going to die slowly, that no one cared enough to even attempt to save her because after all she wasn't worth much. And then he began to peel of her robe and began to touch her in ways no ways a girl, an eleven-year old girl at that, should be touched. Riddle then snatched the wand from her and pointed at her with an evil cackle. The last thing she heard was him screaming the Cruciatus Curse and everything went black.

Ginny woke up shaking uncontrollably. She was drenched in sweat. She closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair slowly, trying to calm her erratic, heartbeat. She sniffled a bit and jumped when she heard someone whisper from behind her.

"Ginny? Are you alright, sweetheart?" Lily looked up concerned.

Ginny shook her head, unable to say anything.

"Oh, dear!" Lily sighed and sat on Ginny's bed next to her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Ginny snuggled into Lily's hug as she tried to figure out why, after all that time, the nightmares had come to haunt her. She'd become so good at blocking them out and this one was the worst she's ever had.

"Thank you, Mrs Potter," Ginny said after around five minutes.

"Call me Lily. And don't mention it. Would you like to talk about what happened?" Lily asked gently, her heart aching for Ginny as she remembered the amount of torture Voldemort had put herself through that night, on Halloween. Shaking the thoughts out of her head, she looked at Ginny for an answer.

Ginny nodded slowly, "Can we go downstairs? I don't want to wake up Hermione."

Lily smiled, "Sure, lets go."

Ginny smiled back a little as they crept downstairs, quietly. When they did, Ginny settled herself on the couch and drew her knees to her chest. Lily frowned.

"Ginny? Would you like some hot chocolate? I find that always cheers me up after the nightmares." Lily suggested.

Ginny nodded, "Sit down, Lily, I'll make it. You're a guest and I don't want to make you wo-"

"Nonsense, sweetheart. You just sit down; I'll be back in a minute." Lily smiled, placing a comforting hand on Ginny's shoulder, before walking towards the kitchen.

Ginny smiled slightly as she thought about how comforting Lily was, and how comforting Harry had been all year. She jumped again, too lost in thought as Lily patted her on the arm to hand her a steaming mug of hot chocolate.

"Thank you, Lily." Ginny smiled, "Let's go into the garden. I don't want to wake anyone up,"

"Alright," Lily shrugged, following her outside. They took a seat on an old wooden swing.

They were silent for a few minutes until Ginny spoke, "Why were you awake, Lily?"

"Hmm? Oh, I was having a nightmare too," Lily shifted uncomfortably.

"Oh, I'm sorry I brought it up then. I-I know what that's like," Ginny shuddered again.

"I can only imagine how horrible they are, sweetheart. What you went through, it must have been terrible."

Ginny frowned, "It was. He said such horrible things. I didn't expect him to be so mean. Tom was just so manipulative." She paused and took a deep breath, "When I went to Hogwarts, I kind of thought that Fred and George would help me out and take me under their wing like they normally did at home, but it was different at school and obviously they didn't want their little sister hanging around them at school along with their friends. I couldn't exactly hang out with Ron because I had a terrible crush on Harry at the time," Ginny blushed as she realised she was telling that to his mother, "Every time I was anywhere near him, I'd have a clumsy moment, like tripping over my own feet or once I even put my elbow in the butter dish. Of course my brothers were very helpful, as they teased me relentlessly."

"Brothers will be brothers," Lily chuckled.

Ginny smiled, "I found the diary inside one of the textbooks I had, and I thought Mum and Dad knew what it was. I always loved to write in diaries. So I started, and when he replied I was surprised. He was so nice and sweet to me, that I started to spill my deepest and darkest secrets, and then, when the time came, he used them against me. Then, when I started to lose my memory and I told him, he just assured me that it probably was the stress of exams. I wasn't sure whether or not to believe him because at random moments I found myself in places and I couldn't explain how I got there, or one time I had rooster feathers and blood down the front of my robes. Then I just had this moment where I sort of got very freaked out and I tried to dispose of the diary. People in the school were being attacked and on Halloween there was writing on the wall that said the Chamber of Secrets had been reopened."

"So, were you ok once you got rid of the diary?"

Ginny frowned, "Not really. I got rid of it and the blank patches in my memory went, but everyone in the school thought that Harry was the Heir of Slytherin. At Duelling Club,he spoke in Parseltongue and everyone thought that he was telling the snake to attack the students. Then, to make matters worse, I lost a bet with Fred and George and I had to send someone a singing Valentine's Day card. They chose Harry, obviously, and they made up the cheesiest rhyme anyone could ever come up with. He was so embarrassed when he got it. I didn't write who it was from, but you know, he's stupid but he isn't that stupid."

Lily laughed, "Yes, like father like son. I remember that Valentine rhyme, he told us when he sent us a letter. James, of course, laughed to no end."

"It was mortifying! I had written the first part of the rhyme, and it had to be cheesy, but all I could come up with was '_his eyes as green as a fresh pickled toad, his hair as dark as a blackboard.' _The twins were more than happy to help, of course, and added the end, '_I wish he was mine, he's really divine. The hero who conquered the Dark Lord.' _So when the dwarf read it out to Harry, in front of everyone, he went beet red!"

"Oh lord. Poor Harry!" Lily chortled.

"Yeah. I was embarrassed too, of course, until I saw Harry had the diary. Then I began to panic. I was worried that Tom would tell Harry all of my secrets so I stole the diary back when I got the chance and then the blank spots began reoccurring. I became pale and then Percy forced me to take Pepper-Up Potions because he thought I was sick. Fred and George began to worry too and they kept asking me if I was ok. Then Tom forced me to write my own farewell on the wall and go to the Chamber. Now I know it was some sort of possession. He came out of the diary. I think he took some sort of corporeal form because I'd given him my soul. Even if it was purely unintentional. Then he began to touch me in places and told me things that made me question whether my family actually liked me or not. I-I went through so many things that night; he told me I was pretty and then he began to torture me. I understand things that most girls my age don't, like hate, sexual stuff and violence. Then all the secrets that I had told him, he used them against me; he repeated my insecurities and made them worse. Then he used the Cruciatus Curse on me and I blacked out. When I woke up, Tom had disappeared and Harry was kneeling beside me, Fawkes perched on his shoulder, his arm bleeding. I began to cry and told him that everything was my fault. He comforted me and told me it wasn't, and that everything was going to be fine. Bill and Charlie wouldn't stop teasing me about it when I was in the Hospital Wing. They call him 'my knight in shining armour.'" Ginny blushed, "But I haven't had these dreams for a long time either and I don't know... I don't know why they came back all of a sudden."

Lily clasped one of Ginny's hands in her own. "I'm sorry you had to go through that sweetheart."

Ginny bit her lip nervously, "Lily? What was your nightmare about?"

Lily closed her eyes, "Mine was about that Halloween night when Voldemort came after us. It was one of the scariest nights of my life. They always consist of that and then everything else too. Like seeing one of my children or James dead and then some of the events that happened during the First Wizarding War. We all know that Voldemort is going to come back to life, we just don't know when and he isn't going to let Harry go. He's already made some sort of appearance in Harry's life three times in the last fourteen years. It's scary."

"Was the war that bad?" Ginny whispered.

"It was terrifying. You didn't know who you could trust; you didn't know whether you could trust yourself enough. There was no leaving the house after dark. There were people dying left, right and centre. The Ministry for Magic was in chaos. There was no control. Dumbledore was doing all he could, but the Death Eaters picked everyone off one by one," Lily replied.

"Oh," was all Ginny could say. Then she brightened up, "How are Iris and Arya? I've seen their pictures. They're adorable,"

Lily smiled fondly, "They're fine. Just too cheeky for their own good. Which is why we didn't bring them. Dorea didn't feel like coming, so she offered to babysit them. They're really quite a handful."

"Would you like to sleep?" Ginny smiled. "I don't want to keep you up."

"Oh no, don't worry about me, sweetheart. I won't sleep anyway. That was one of the most vivid nightmares I've ever had. What about you?"

Ginny shook her head, "How about a game of chess or something?"

"Sounds good. Oh, and, Ginny? Do you still have a crush on Harry?" Lily asked with a devilish smirk.

"What? I...no! No! I stopped liking him," Ginny exclaimed.

"Mhmm, I see. Give him time, Ginny. He'll come to his senses eventually. The Potters tend to fall in love with redheads," Lily winked at her.

Ginny shook her head laughing, "If you say so."

They spent the rest of their time talking about pretty much everything they could think of. Ginny soon found out that Harry didn't get his smart mouth from his Dad; it was actually Lily as she could come up with the funniest remarks. Ginny grinned. They had become very close in rather a short amount of time.

When everyone else woke up, grumbling, it was still quite dark. Sirius changed into his Animagus form as they set off for the Portkey.

They arrived at the camping ground. Most of the kids were on the ground, grumbling as they watched the adults walk on air and land gently on the ground with a smirk of superiority. They had two tents. One for the girls and one for the boys. Biscuits settled with the girls' tent, much to Ginny and Hermione's delight. Crookshanks, however, hissed at Biscuits and sank back into the shadows.

Harry, Ron and Hermione left to get water, because they had to act like Muggles. On their way they met a few fellow Gryffindors. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas sat outside a tent that was covered with green. They also ran into some other people from Hogwarts, including Ernie Macmillan, Oliver Wood, who introduced Harry to his parents with vigour, and Cho Chang; this, much to Ron and Hermione's surprise, caused Harry to both stutter and blush. Harry bought a pair of Omnioculars for each Ron, Ginny, Hermione and himself. Then he bounced on the balls of his feet as they headed to the game.

* * *

Harry had the time of his life, watching that final. Viktor Krum was the topic of almost everyone's conversation and it was no different for the Weasleys and Potters. He was the Seeker for Bulgaria and literally glided through the air. He'd been amazing. Harry had watched him in awe hoping someday he would be in the same position. They Irish team were incredible, they passed so quickly, the Bulgarians barely had any time to intercept the Quaffle. Then all of a sudden, Krum ended the match when Ireland were in the lead. Charlie said that Krum had wanted to end the match on his own terms. The final score of the match had been 170:160 to Ireland. The festivities that followed were loud, animated and fun. Exhausted, the Potters and the Weasleys both decided to sleep, but later on that night, Harry was awoken by his father, who told him they had to go.

Death Eaters were terrorising the camp-site, torturing the Muggles and some of the Wizarding families. The children ran into the woods as the adults scrambled after the Death Eaters, trying to catch them. Then the Dark Mark was cast into the sky, directly above the place Harry, Ron and Hermione were standing.

A few wizards cast charms at them. Ducking, they sighed in relief as Mr Weasley spotted them. The adults then realised that it hadn't been any them who cast the Dark Mark, but Mr Crouch's house-elf Winky, who was lying on the floor clutching Harry's wand. Mr Crouch dismissed her, much to Hermione's disgust. But the thoughts soon disappeared from their minds as they realised the Mark was Voldemort's.

When they arrived at the Burrow, Mrs Weasley was in a state of panic. Rita Skeeter, a reporter for the _Daily Prophet, _had written an article that said some people had been murdered at the World Cup, and Mrs Weasley was worried as she hadn't heard from them.

Mr Weasley managed to calm her down and Lily and James suggested they'd take the children to Diagon Alley to stock up on their school supplies. Mrs Weasley was delighted at the idea and handed them a pouch full of money. Lily, James, Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George all Flooed to Diagon Alley one by one, leaving Bill, Charlie, Remus and Sirius with the almost unmanageable task of calming Mrs Weasley down. Percy and Mr Weasley had gone to work.

James saw that he was walking next to Ginny and smiled widely, "Hey, Ginny."

"Oh. Hi, Mr Potter."

"Call me James. How do you feel today?" James asked, concern lacing his voice.

Ginny looked up surprised, "I'm fine, thanks."

"That's good. Lily said you two had a nice chat," James grinned.

"Yes we did. Harry reminds me of her very much," Ginny commented.

James hid a smile, "I think the same thing every day. Now what do you say we figure out what you need?"

Ginny nodded and bit her lip as she saw Harry walking towards them and waved slowly.

"Hey, Gin. Dad? Do you know why we need dress robes this year?" Harry asked, smiling.

"I might do. Let's go and get those. Then we can buy the books and the rest of your stuff."

"Sounds good," Harry agreed, still wondering why they'd need dress robes.

"Hmm, I don't need dress robes. Must only be for fourth years and above," Ginny frowned.

"Alright, let's do this," James nodded.

* * *

Harry grinned at Ron as they entered Ron's room. "I wonder what those dress robes are for."

Ron shrugged, "Percy seems to know all about it! It was nice of your Mum and Dad to help us with them. I like the black ones I got. Knowing Mum, she would have made me get maroon. I hate maroon!"

Harry laughed, "Well Fred and George definitely want to stand out this time; they picked bright orange and green."

"Only them," Ron chuckled, shaking his head.

They sorted through their things and then Harry packed his bags.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow at the station," Harry said.

"Bye."

Harry headed downstairs with his bags to where Lily and James were waiting. He thanked Mr and Mrs Weasley for their hospitality and Flooed back to Potter Manor with his parents, where Remus and Sirius were already waiting for him.

He packed his trunk and then asked Sirius whether he could help him with his transformation. James had to leave for work as the Ministry was in chaos after the World Cup. Lily and Dorea were taking care of the twins, so Remus, Sirius and Harry could work in the living room.

"Take it slowly, dude. And don't worry if you don't get-" Sirius trailed off as he saw Harry change his left arm to the golden-red wing of a phoenix,

"Holy shit!" he exclaimed, "Well done, Harry! Keep going!"

Harry tried to change the wing back to his human arm. He got it on the fifth attempt and then he tried to get the wing again. Finally, after a half hour, he could change his left arm in a quarter of a millisecond.

"Try the right arm now, Harry," Remus encouraged.

After another hour and a half of trying and no success, he gave up, groaning. But Sirius shook his head, "That was amazing, Harry! It took us around six months to do that and you've done it in two! Keep trying!"

Just then, the rest of the Potters entered the living room and they gasped as they saw Harry's wing, "Well done, Harry!" James exclaimed, "That took Sirius and me ages!"

Harry grinned, "I know, Sirius told me."

"Can you change anything else, honey?" Dorea asked impressed.

"Not yet," Harry said dismally.

"Don't be disappointed, darling. You're doing very well," Lily assured her son as she bounced Arya on her lap.

"Oh, Harry, there's something going on at Hogwarts and I'm going to give you a little hint. It involves three schools. Hogwarts and two other schools of magic: Beauxbatons Academy and Durmstrang Institute. I can't really tell you more. But, heck! You're going to have fun!" James grinned.

"What event?" Harry asked, interested,

"It'll be amazing! Trust me!" Lily exclaimed. "Now, why don't you head to bed? You have school tomorrow,"

"Aw, can't you tell me more?" Harry asked.

"No can do, kiddo, sorry," James sighed. "Goodnight, Harry."

Harry headed up to bed after wishing everyone a goodnight, wondering what event involved three different schools of magic. He snuggled into his bed, sighing softly. Minutes later, he was out like a light.

**A/N: So they had the talk...****Comments? Suggestions? Criticism? Compliments? ****Please review. Even if its just a sentence saying 'update soon' or 'that was horrible (or amazing!) :P and don't forget to vote on my poll! I'll be in India for the next six weeks on holiday, so I'll try to get one or two chapters written whenever I have free time! Cheers :D**

**Ishani x**


	17. Chapter 17: The Triwizard Tournament

**A/N: Well, helloo everyone. I hope you're all doing well! I want to thank everyone who reviewed and faved and alerted! This chapter is shorter, sadly. **

**The poll results concluded that you don't want Harry to date anyone else before Ginny. :) The poll is now over. Thank you to everyone who voted. Thanks to my beta, Ginny Guerra for all her help! Hope you enjoy this chapter! And thanks again for those reviews...they made my day :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of JKR's characters or her plot...Arya and Iris however are mine :)**

Chapter 17: The Triwizard Tournament

Harry's journey to Hogwarts was rather uneventful and somewhat normal. Malfoy and his cronies visited as usual and ended up annoying Harry, Ron and Hermione. Malfoy knew what the event was and used this to his advantage, sneering at Ron, saying Mr Weasley was an unimportant employee of the Ministry for Magic. This pissed Ron off severely, and Malfoy continued to taunt him by telling Harry that the reason his father didn't know was because the Potters hung around with "riffraffs" like the Weasleys. When they finally arrived in Hogsmeade, Harry, Ron and Hermione were all anxious to know exactly what was going on. They sat at the Gryffindor table, smiling with glee, absolutely delighted to be back in their second home.

Harry watched as the first years made their way to the front of the hall, trembling slightly. The Sorting Hat opened its mouth wide and began to sing:

_A thousand years or more ago__  
__When I was newly sewn,__  
__There lived four wizards of renown,__  
__Whose names are still well known:__  
__Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,__  
__Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,__  
__Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,__  
__Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.__  
__They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,__  
__They hatched a daring plan__  
__To educate young sorcerers__  
__Thus Hogwarts School began.__  
__Now each of these four founders__  
__Formed their own house, for each__  
__Did value different virtues__  
__In the ones they had to teach.__  
__By Gryffindor, the bravest were__  
__Prized far beyond the rest;__  
__For Ravenclaw, the cleverest__  
__Would always be the best;__  
__For Hufflepuff, hard workers were__  
__Most worthy of admission;__  
__And power-hungry Slytherin__  
__Loved those of great ambition.__  
__While still alive they did divide__  
__Their favourites from the throng,__  
__Yet how to pick the worthy ones__  
__When they were dead and gone?_

_'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,__  
__He whipped me off his head__  
__The founders put some brains in me__  
__So I could choose instead!__  
__Now slip me snug about your ears,__  
__I've never yet been wrong,__  
__I'll have a look inside your mind__  
__And tell where you belong!_

Harry then realised that this song wasn't the one that he had heard during his first year, and he hadn't heard it later due to the fact that he had missed the Welcome Feast the two years that followed. He was surprised to hear, from Hermione, that the Hat had a new song every year. Ron and Harry both decided that the Hat lived a very boring life and probably spent the year making a new song.

Hermione also learnt that the food she ate at Hogwarts was made by house-elves. At this she refused to eat another bite, much to Ron's scorn and astonishment. He tried to get her to eat, but stopped as soon as he received a well practiced death glare.

Then, finally, after the feast, Dumbledore stood to make the start of term announcements, "Now that we have all been watered and fed, it is time I make a few announcements. I have a very special one to make. This year, for the first time in decades, Hogwarts will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament!"

A babble of noise soon broke out ranging from whispers to loud exclamations of excitement. The Weasley twins grinned at one another, impishly.

Dumbledore smiled and raised his hand, waiting for silence before he continued, " The Triwizard Tournament is a magical contest that is held between the three largest schools of witchcraft and wizardry: Hogwarts, Durmstrang Institute and Beauxbatons Academy. As I said before, Hogwarts will be hosting this legendary event. The students from those schools who are allowed to compete and fulfil the requirements to take part in the Tournament will be arriving around Halloween. You will get more details about the Tournament then. Right now, however, allow me to-"

Suddenly, black clouds cluttered across the ceiling of the Great Hall and interrupted Dumbledore's speech. Shrieks filled the Hall as lightening struck. The door of the Great Hall swung open, there was a bright flash and the ceiling returned to normal. The figure at the door moved forward and as it walked to the front of the room, Harry suddenly recognized who it was, "Mad-Eye Moody?"

Moody's eye swivelled and glanced at Harry, who wondered what on earth Moody was doing here. Ginny, who was thinking the same thing, leaned over to Harry and whispered, "Why is he here?"

Ron shrugged, "There's an empty seat at the Head Table."

Dumbledore shook hands with his old friend, grinning as he heard Moody's complaints about the ceiling, "This is Professor Moody. He will be your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

A stunned silence filled the Hall and then, slowly, it filled with a somewhat lukewarm applause for Moody, led mainly by Hagrid and the Gryffindors. The applause faded and Dumbledore smiled once again at his students, "Well classes start bright and early tomorrow morning, so off to bed now everyone."

Harry jumped up and began to make his way to the Gryffindor Common Room along with Hermione, Ron and Ginny.

"So, Ron, think we should enter?" Harry grinned, jokingly, at his best friend.

"Why not? It's worth a shot!" Ron replied, grinning in turn.

"Are the two of you insane?" Ginny asked, with mock curiosity, "You've gotten yourself into enough near-death situations for three years in a row. Mum and Lily would both go mad!"

Harry couldn't stop himself from gazing into Ginny's eyes as she glared at him. He'd never noticed before, but they were a very beautiful chocolate brown. He shook the thoughts from his head as he heard Ron say, "Jheeze Ginny, I think you've been hanging around with Hermione too much!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and thwacked Ron on the head, "Ginny's right, you know," she turned to Harry and gave him a piercing glare as they entered the common room.

Harry ran a hand through his hair, "Uhh, yeah. But I don't even think we'll be allowed to enter. We're probably too young. And now that you mention those experiences I've had, I'd rather not."

Ginny nodded in approval. Hermione looked pointedly at Ron, "_You_ should follow his example. C'mon, Ginny, let's get some sleep,"

Harry smiled at them and waved as he watched them go into their dorms. His thoughts were wandering back to Ginny's beautiful eyes when Ron suggested that they should go to bed too. Harry yawned and followed Ron, hoping, as he closed his eyes, for a peaceful fourth year.

* * *

Classes proceeded as normal. Harry's opinion of Divination didn't change a bit. Professor Trelawney was still as wacky as ever, and her lessons had become more boring and far too predictable. Ron and Harry hadn't once done their homework for Divination, but had instead written many misfortunes, deaths and tragedies, such as drowning, losing a limb, or being eaten by an animal. These seemed to make Trelawney happy, and she got the impression that both Harry and Ron were finally picking up the skills of a true Seer, which was laughable.

History of Magic lessons continued to be a drag. Harry had always found history fascinating; he loved to read about Merlin, goblin rebellions, witch-burning and things like that. But with Professor Binns as your teacher, enjoying these lessons was impossible for everyone, including, much to Ron and Harry's surprise, Hermione. When Harry complained about this to his parents, they suggested using Sugar Quills, the sweets that looked like quills. This worked and Harry managed to take notes and stop himself from falling asleep. Ron, however, continued to snore quietly in every lesson, slumped back in his chair, his eyes closed. Professor Binns was always far too involved in his lessons to notice.

Potions was better in one way and worse in another. It was better because Harry had finally managed to tap into his mother's skill at the subject. This displeased Snape very much, who continued to grade Harry's potions with a very prejudiced view. Therefore, Harry got Acceptables instead of the Outstandings he deserved. This annoyed Hermione a lot, because she knew Harry deserved them and told Harry to complain to Dumbledore. Harry, however, decided not to, because he had enough trouble with Snape as it was and he knew that the professor wasn't going to change any time soon, and realised it didn't matter because when it came to his O. and N.E., he knew that Snape wouldn't be marking his exams, and that was all he cared about.

Herbology had become more interesting. Harry also found it more enjoyable, as he realised that Hermione wouldn't be there without the help of the mandrakes they had learnt about in their second year. Neville also seemed very comfortable in this class, and was willing to help anyone who asked him. They had progressed to more dangerous and more interesting plants, although sometimes this wasn't very enjoyable -Harry wasn't too sure he liked collecting Bobotuber Pus.

Charms with little Professor Flitwick was still one of Harry's favourite classes. They were always very chaotic lessons because the charms they learnt taught them to levitate objects, make them vanish and so on and so forth. This made Charms a very easy lesson to talk in, and Harry, Ron and Hermione found this very useful. Harry also found Charms somewhat easier since he had mastered wandless magic as a child and had learnt how to make objects levitate and summon them too. All he had to do now was learn to do the same charms with a wand. This however, Harry found, isn't as easy as it sounds.

Ancient Runes was another one of Harry's favourite lessons. Professor Reed made the class very interesting. He was a very funny teacher and had the class hooked as he taught them about Egyptian hieroglyphics, the sword of Excalibur, the legend of Merlin, Medieval and Dalecarlian Runes. They looked at the numbers and the letters they used and then Professor Reed began to teach them how to interpret the runes. Hermione shone in this class -not that this was new- and had even gone as far as writing in runes. Harry was almost as good as her and enjoyed the class thoroughly.

Defence Against the Dark Arts was definitely a very interesting class. Moody was a good teacher, but he was slightly scary and sort of dark and sinister. He had seen and done everything, so the whole school was talking about his lessons. By the time Harry's year had their DADA class, almost everyone else had had theirs, and they were very eager. Much to Harry's surprise, Moody started off by teaching them about the Unforgivables. He now knew where the green light in his nightmares came from, the Killing Curse from that Halloween night, and this didn't make him feel better at all.

Care of Magical Creatures was also an engaging class, especially with Hagrid teaching it. The only problem was that Hagrid's definition of interesting creatures was very different from everyone else's definition of interesting creatures (for example, Norbert, Fluffy. Aragog and Buckbeak). The creatures Hagrid was now showing were dangerous. Blast-Ended Skrewts caused every single fourth year to dread Hagrid's classes. But Hagrid continued to be one of Harry, Ron and Hermione's favourite people and it was mainly because of this that they went to his classes with a big smile on their faces and did the work without a single complaint.

Transfiguration had become a much more enjoyable affair after Harry had begun his Animagus training. Lily and James had suggested that Harry should talk to Professor McGonagall and show her his progress so he had someone to help him with his Animagus form at school. After about two weeks into the term, Harry decided to talk to the professor, who, after all, had experience in the field, being an Animagus herself. He hadn't yet told Hermione, Ron or Ginny about him learning to become an Animagus because he wanted to discuss a few things with Professor McGonagall first.

So one day, at the end of the lesson, Harry hung back, telling his friends he would meet them later. Walking up to McGonagall, he cleared his throat nervously as she gestured for him to take a seat.

"Right, Mr Potter, how can I help you today?"

Harry nodded and wrung his hands together, "Uh, Professor, last year you found that my Dad, Pettigrew and Sirius had become illegal Animagi whilst they were at school."

McGonagall smiled somewhat fondly, "Yes. I did find that quite astounding. It's a very big accomplishment to have achieved something so big without any instruction."

"Well, this summer, I started to learn to become an Animagus," Harry told her.

McGonagall looked surprised, "You're training to be an Animagus?" then she continued, "So how much have you learnt so far?"

"Well, since I mastered wandless magic when I was younger, I've been working on changing without a wand because Dad thought it would be easier. He said that it would be better if I asked you for help if I had any doubts." Harry smiled.

"Ah, well, James Potter always was one of my favourites. Do you have any doubts?"

"Yes, there was something that confused my Dad and Sirius. Instead of seeing just one animal, I saw four. What does this mean?"

"This means that you can become all four animals. May I ask what animals you saw?"

"A wolf, an owl, a lion and a phoenix. Is this normal?" Harry asked.

"Normal, no. But this isn't unheard of. Many great wizards have had more than one Animagus form. For example, Dumbledore, who has three, or Merlin who had around five or six. Godric Gryffindor had four as well. Tell me what you've done so far and how you've been doing it," McGonagall replied.

"Well I started with the phoenix because it's a magical animal. I've been doing the two arms, right to left, the head, the torso and then the legs."

"That's correct! You must keep in mind that becoming an Animagus is not an easy thing to do. Once you complete the entire transformation, you'll be able to switch back and forth almost immediately."

"Another thing is, just before school I managed to change my left arm into a wing. Dad and Sirius were impressed because it took them six months and I did it in two."

McGonagall looked both shocked and amazed," That's incredible! Will you show me?"

Harry shrugged and then nodded. He closed his eyes and pictured the golden-red wing of a phoenix and all of a sudden, his arm was replaced by it.

"Well done, Harry! Becoming an Animagus at this age is impressive, but doing that in two months is amazing!" Professor McGonagall praised him.

"Thanks, Professor. There's just one more thing. I can't really practice with Dad and Sirius when I'm at school, and I was wondering if you could help me instead?"

"It would be my pleasure," McGonagall smiled.

"Thanks! Oh and I haven't told anyone about this. I want to keep it a secret. I don't really want them to know about my form legally, me being who I am, with the Death Eaters and Voldemort. Mum and Dad would be worried."

"Understandably so," McGonagall nodded. "Register one form and keep the rest a secret. That way, you wouldn't be breaking any laws."

"Alright, Professor," Harry stood to get up.

"Why don't we have our first lesson tonight? In my office, at eight thirty."

"That would be perfect, Professor! Thank you"

Harry hurried out of the classroom for dinner. McGonagall smiled as he left. He really was a very powerful wizard, very much like his father.

* * *

The Animagus lessons definitely increased the load Harry had to carry. Between classes, homework and tutoring, Harry barely had the time to stop and think. This wasn't much of a problem as he enjoyed most of his lessons. He was heading to the common room, after one of his Animagus lessons, when he bumped into Cho Chang.

She gave him a dirty look as he helped her up, "Can't you look where you walk?"

"I'm sorry, Cho," Harry apologist as he picked up her books.

Cho glared at him, "Make sure it doesn't happen again."

She stormed off and Harry was left standing in the corridor, slightly puzzled at her behaviour. She had always been so nice before. Then a thought entered his head, '_maybe it's that time of the month.'_ Shrugging, he picked up his bag and continued to the common room. He flopped on the couch and sighed. Ginny, who was sitting next to him, raised her eyebrows, "What are you sighing about?"

"I was talking to Cho," Harry ran a hand through his hair absentmindedly.

"You like her, don't you?" Ginny smiled.

"No. I used to, but I don't know. Maybe it was just a crush?" Harry said hopefully.

"Well, she isn't the nicest of people. Cedric Diggory likes her and I have no idea why!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Cedric Diggory likes her?" Harry asked in surprise, "How do you know?"

"I'm a girl, Harry. Most girls like to gossip, and those who don't hear it anyway. But yes, and she has a crush on him too. Anyway, I've been meaning to ask you, do you know Michael Corner?" Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Yeah I do. He's in Ravenclaw, right?" Harry asked.

"Yes. He's got dark hair and brown eyes. He hangs around with Terry Boot and Anthony Goldstein." Ginny sighed dreamily.

"Yeah, he's pretty cool," Harry replied, and then he was suspicious, "Why?"

Ginny bit her lip, her cheeks reddening, "No reason, he's just...nice,"

Harry rolled his eyes. How stupid did she think he was? "Nice, how?"

"Well I was waiting for Colin in the library, and he came up and started to talk to me. I like him. He's really cute. So yeah, we talked, well I talked, he flirted and I just wanted to know what you thought of him."

Harry raised an eyebrow, whilst wondering why he suddenly felt like strangling Corner, "Have you told Ron, Fred or George?"

Ginny laughed, "Why would I do that? They'd probably kill him for just talking to me! I'm not going to tell them and you'd better not either," she added, scowling

"Alright. I won't say anything," Harry promised. Anything to put a smile back on her face, he thought.

"Great! Thank you! Well, I'm off to bed." Ginny smiled and gave him a hug before skipping up the stairs and into her dormitory.

Harry sat still for a few minutes, before speculating as to why he felt so angry when he thought of Ginny with Corner. Frowning, he shook the thoughts out of his head and took his Potions textbook out and started his homework, as Ron and Hermione came into the room.

"Where were you, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I was with McGonagall, she's helping me with something and then I didn't really feel like dinner, so I came up here and spoke to Ginny for a while," Harry said. Hermione raised her eyebrows as she saw Harry's face light up when he said Ginny's name.

Ron, oblivious to this, sat down on the armchair in front of Harry and grinned, "Well, mate, you missed one heck of a meal! Hermione decided to eat again. I knew she'd be hungry."

"Honestly, Ron, I already _told _you that I've come up with another way to get house-elf rights," Hermione glared at him.

Harry rolled his eyes as Ron opened his mouth to retort, "Well, I don't want to know."

Hermione ignored him and turned her attention to Harry who was rolling up his parchment, "Did you finish the Potions homework, Harry?"

"We had Potions homework?" Ron asked in alarm.

"Yeah," Harry replied to both of them.

Ron swore, "When's it due?"

"Day after tomorrow," Hermione replied.

Ron looked relieved and smiled at Hermione, "I'll do it tomorrow then,"

Harry watched as Hermione returned the smile with a shy one and shook his head slightly, then wondered if his Mum was right. Did they actually like each other? Ron and Hermione finally stopped smiling at each other when Harry yawned.

"I'm beat, guys. Let's get some rest," Ron announced.

Hermione nodded in agreement. They all headed to their beds. Harry lay there, before drifting off to sleep, full of dreams of a red-haired somebody.

**A/N: So...****Comments? Suggestions? Criticism? Compliments? I hope this chapter wasn't as bad as I think it is. That's actually why I took long to update. It definitely is one of my worser ones, though. I am sorry about that. Please review :) **

**Love,**

******Ishani**


	18. Chapter 18:The Goblet Of Fire

**A/N: Hi! I hope you're all doing well. A huge thanks to my Beta for editing this in record time. You're the best :) I'll stop blabbing and let you read now :P Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JKR :D**

Chapter 18: The Goblet Of Fire

Harry, Ron and Hermione pushed their way through the crowd as everyone flooded into the Great Hall, eagerly anticipating the arrival of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, who were arriving in a short while. They sat down at the Gryffindor Table and then Colin Creevey gave a very girlish squeal, "Look out the window!"

Harry's mouth dropped as he saw a giant carriage being pulled by giant horses. The students that got out of the carriage were wearing light-blue robes of a very fine material. As the girls practically skipped into the room, Harry bit his lip, trying not to laugh at Ron, who was staring at the swishing skirts, with a mesmerized expression on his face. Nudging Harry, Hermione widened her eyes as they cast their eyes upon the largest female they had ever seen. Ron, who was still staring at a blonde girl, turned to Harry and pointed to her, "She's beautiful."

Ginny giggled, "And way out of your league," she said, as they watched Dumbledore greet the Headmistress of Beauxbatons with vigor. Much to the amusement of the ogling students, Dumbledore was half her height.

Ron ignored her, "I'm sure she's part Veela or something."

Hermione opened her mouth to tell Ron to shut up, but was interrupted by Pansy Parkinson's astonished gasp, "The lake! What's happening to the lake?"

Astonished, everyone watched as a ship rose up from it. As the Durmstrang students entered the Great Hall, Ron began to bounce on the balls of his feet as Headmaster Igor Karkaroff made way for a "special student". It was Viktor Krum! Ron began to poke Harry on the shoulder, "He's a student?"

Harry gaped at Krum, who was scowling, "Wow!"

The babble that had started when Krum entered the Hall was stopped when Dumbledore raised his hand. He introduced the students to the Goblet of Fire, which happened to be the object that would be choosing the one participant from each school. Dumbledore went over the rules briefly and then handed over to Barty Crouch, who told them that no one under the age of seventeen could take part in the Tournament in order to prevent deaths and serious injuries. This, of course, caused an uproar. Fred and George, who looked aghast at this, made up their minds to enter at any rate. Dumbledore guessed that students were going to enter anyway, so he decided he'd warn them about the Age Line he was going to draw around the Goblet, which prevented anyone under-age from entering. He dismissed the students and the chatter of the students increased as they left the Hall.

Ron grinned at Harry, "Fred and George were talking about entering the Tournament using an Ageing Potion. What do you think?"

Harry shrugged, "Rather you than me, mate," he joked, "Anyway, I don't think it'll work,"

Hermione nodded, "Dumbledore's not a wizard to be hoodwinked. Now come on, let's get some rest."

The trio headed to sleep, excited at the prospect of finding the competitors the evening after.

The next day was horribly slow. Harry was sure his watch was slow because it seemed like twenty minutes was up, when he saw that it was actually only five. The teachers were much more lenient than usual and gave them the very little homework. Ron still complained that the students could have done without it. Of course, the day hadn't passed without excitement, Fred and George, who were determined to enter the Tournament, had taken the Raging Potion and passed the Age Line, but then, when they put their names in the Goblet, they were thrown halfway across the room and had grown beards that could rival Dumbledore's. They were upset at first, but then found out that Angelina Johnson would enter and began to support her wholeheartedly. Harry, Ron and Hermione wished her luck too. They couldn't imagine any other Gryffindor who deserved it more.

Later, as Dumbledore stepped onto the stage, the candles blew out. The only object giving any light was the Goblet. It gave a very spooky, mysterious feeling.

A piece of parchment flew out from the Goblet and Dumbledore caught it in his outstretched hand.

"From the Beauxbatons Academy, Miss Fleur Delacour,"

Everyone applauded the beautiful blonde, whom Ron was captivated by, as she made her way to the front. She shook hands with Dumbledore before gracefully gliding to the back room.

"From the Durmstrang Institute, Mr Viktor Krum,"

The applause this time was much louder. Many of the students watched as Krum walked to the stage, a huge grin on his face and shook hands with Dumbledore. He then followed Fleur to the back room.

The third piece of parchment flew out of the Goblet.

"For Hogwarts School, Mr Cedric Diggory,"

The noise from the Hufflepuff table was deafening as they cheered on their Champion. Harry couldn't blame them, Hufflepuff rarely had a chance for glory, and this was huge.

Dumbledore's smile widened, "Well, you now have your three champions and it is time I fully explained the rules. Each student will have to pass three dangerous, and utterly gruelling tasks to win the Triwizard-" Dumbledore trailed off as he saw the Goblet light again. All the students watched as the Goblet shot out another piece of parchment.

This time Dumbledore's voice was softer, "Harry Potter?"

Harry jumped when he heard his name, staring at Dumbledore in shock. Was this some kind of joke? He hadn't put his name in the Goblet. How had it got in there? He turned to look at his friends who looked astonished. He shook his head, "I didn't put my name in."

"Mr Potter, will you come up here, please?" Dumbledore requested.

Shaking slightly, Harry got up and made his way to the back room. There was a minute of silence before a herd of teachers followed him.

Dumbledore, if he was at all shocked, he didn't show it. Instead he asked, "How did you get your name in there, Harry?"

"Vot is going on?" Krum asked.

Harry ignored him, "I swear, I don't know. I didn't put my name in."

"Oh but he iz lying. I am sure zat Dumbledore entered another champion himself, so zat he could win," Madame Maxime said.

"Precisely, I vote that ve should have two contestants from our schools as vell," Karkaroff demanded.

"I'm afraid that isn't possible, Karkaroff. The Goblet has now sealed itself," Crouch told him grimly, "And Dumbledore wouldn't stoop that low."

"Oh how convenient," Karkaroff mumbled as if he hadn't heard the last part of Crouch's speech.

"Well zen ze boy is lying," Madame Maxime insisted. Fleur nodded fervently at her side.

Harry opened his mouth to say something when Moody shook his head, "He couldn't have, Dumbledore. The Goblet of Fire is an extremely powerful object. No student, especially a fourth year has the ability to hoodwink it. Only someone who is advanced in the study of dark magic could have managed this. They must have put his name under a fourth school. I'm sure the person who did this is hoping things will turn out unfortunately, making Potter's death look like a mistake."

Karkaroff growled, "Well you seem to have put a lot of thought into this Moody."

Moody scowled at his, "It was once my job to think as Dark Wizards do, Karkaroff. I'm sure you remember."

Dumbledore cut in hurriedly before they could start an argument, "Yes, well never mind that. What are we going to do now, Barty?"

Bartemius Crouch Senior took of his hat and rubbed his balding head, "There's nothing you can do, Dumbledore. The Goblet of Fire is a legally binding magical contract. I'm sorry, Mr Potter, my hands are tied."

"B-but we can't just let him play! He's far too young!" McGonagall protested.

"There's nothing we can do," Crouch said dismally.

"So I can't refuse?" Harry asked.

"Sorry, Harry. You're just going to have to play," Bagman completed.

"Well, then he'll just have to compete as a champion as there is absolutely nothing that we can do. Harry, Cedric, why don't you two return to your houses? I'm sure there are a lot of people who'd like to celebrate with you. You'll be given instructions in due time. Good night," Dumbledore said.

Harry and Cedric left the room together. Harry was still in shock and had in his head what Moody had said. Could someone be that desperate to see him dead?

"So we're playing against each other, huh?" Cedric asked.

"I guess," Harry shrugged.

"Just between ourselves. How did you get your name into the Goblet?" Cedric questioned, smiling widely, showing off his gleaming, white teeth.

"I didn't," Harry replied.

"Oh, right," Cedric said. Harry could tell he didn't believe him, "Well, I'm going to bed now."

"'Night," Harry managed a small smile.

Harry turned and headed towards Gryffindor Tower. When he entered the Common Room, a red cloak was draped over his shoulders, the cheering and applause was deafening and Harry was surrounded by the Gryffindors, who kept on asking how he had managed to enter the Tournament, but no one gave him enough time to explain that he hadn't. He finally managed to escape the crowd, telling them he was tired, and ran to his dormitory. He smiled when he saw Ron, Hermione and Ginny sitting down. He sat down beside Ginny on his bed.

"There you are! I was looking for you down there," Harry said.

"Yeah, right. I'm sure you were enjoying all that attention," Ron snorted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked. He suddenly found himself being hugged by Ginny, who looked up at him with scared eyes. He wrapped his arms around her before asking, "You alright, Gin?"

"Why is it always you?" She sighed.

"I don't know. Moody said that I was entered by someone who wants me to...to die," Harry murmured.

"That's crap! How did you get your name in that Goblet, Harry? You lied to me yesterday saying that 'oh, I don't want to risk my life and all that shit about not wanting the glory and fame!" Ron exclaimed.

"I didn't put my name in that Goblet, Ron," Harry said, angrily, "I don't want to be in this Tournament, but I have no choice. Crouch said something about it being a binding contract."

Ron snorted again, "Right."

"Ginny? Hermione?" Harry almost pleaded.

"Well, I believe you," Hermione said firmly, leaving Ron's bed and sitting next to Harry, hugging him.

Harry smiled and hugged her back, "Thank you."

Ginny nodded, "You wouldn't lie to us about something like this. I mean, you're thick, but you're not _that_ thick."

Harry let out a sigh of relief and mock-glared at her, "Thanks."

Hermione and Ginny stood up, kissed Harry's cheek before giving Ron the "look" and leaving.

"Ron? You believe me, right?" Harry asked nervously.

"No, I don't. You always draw all the goddamn attention to yourself. You can just sod off," Ron shouted. Then he rolled over in his bed and pulled the curtain shut.

Harry just stood there, shocked for the most part. He hadn't expected this from his best mate. He wasn't sure what to do, so he pulled out his pocket mirror and closed the curtain. "James Potter," he whispered.

James appeared in the mirror, his hair sleep-tousled, "Harry? You should be asleep right now. What's wrong?"

"Uhh...Dad, they picked the Triwizard Champions today."

"Okay," James said slowly. Lily appeared at his side.

"My name was picked," Harry managed, in a squeaky voice.

"WHAT?" James and Lily roared together, "But I don't understand," Lily continued, "I thought there was an age restriction! How the hell did you get your name in there?"

"There was. And I didn't put my name in. But I still have to compete. There are four Champions now. Cedric Diggory is the other Champion for Hogwarts." Harry informed his parents.

"What do you mean you still have to compete?" James asked gloomily.

"Crouch said its a magical contract. I can't get out of it."

"Do you have any idea how your name got into that Goblet, honey?" Lily enquired.

"Not really, but Moody does," Harry sighed softly before continuing, "He thinks that the person who entered my name in was a powerful dark wizard and that he wants me to die."

James and Lily paled, "That's possible," James said finally, "This may be Voldemort's doing too. Does anyone know anything about him?"

Harry shook his head, "He couldn't have put my name in that Goblet. Hermione and Ginny believe me, but Ron's convinced that I'm lying. He thinks that I didn't let him join me because I want all the fame and the glory. What sort of idiot would do that?"

"I don't know, sweetheart. We'll tell Padfoot, Moony and Dorea tomorrow morning. But for now, just try and get some sleep, alright? We'll talk to you later," Lily said, trying to comfort him.

Harry nodded.

"We love you, honey," Lily smiled.

"Love you too," Harry said, and watched as they disappeared. He put the mirror back in his trunk. Rolling on his back, he stared at the ceiling, till he fell asleep a few hours later.

**A/N: So...Thoughts? I hope this was good enough. Isn't Ron horrible?**

**Oh and before I forget, I'd like to recommend a story written by one of the girls who reads this one. It's her first piece of FanFiction and it's really good! Her plot is really original and very interesting...Here ya go:**

**-Thrice Bonded by _Princess Patterson: _This is AU .It's way beyond what JKR had written. The Malfoys being Light as Well as the Potters and Weasleys. Fate had a hand in givng mutliple births to these family. Fate likes to meddle in love .These children grows up and who they fall in love?**

**Like I said it's really good. **

**Hope you liked this chapter and please review. :)**

**Ishani x**


	19. Chapter 19:A Trial And Some Trouble

**A/N: Hello :) An earlier update, because I had a some time. School is really annoying and this year they seem to be very eager to give students homework, so I'm apologize in advance for not updating. This chapter has a surprise, for those of you who didn't expect it. I want to thank everyone who's been reviewing constantly, and everyone who's added me or this story to their alerts or faves :) It means a lot. As always a huge thanks to my beta, who has special powers and is super quick! You're amazing Amelie! :) I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll meet you at the bottom. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

Chapter 19: A Trial and Some Trouble

That week was sort of hellish for Harry. Almost everyone in the school thought that he had cheated and had somehow managed to enter his name without anyone knowing. Harry had though Ron might stop being an idiot sometime soon, but he didn't. Hermione forced Harry to see it from Ron's point of view. Hermione believed that Ron was just jealous of Harry's fame. Whenever Harry and Ron were together, Ron always got shoved to the side. This seemed to be the final straw for him. Harry still thought it was stupid, but he could see where Ron was coming from.

Harry decided to visit Hagrid and was relieved when Hagrid said he believed him. He had only commented on the fact that trouble seemed to follow Harry. Harry couldn't help but agree.

He was walking to the Great Hall with Ginny when suddenly he felt the mirror heat up in his pocket. Pulling Ginny to the side, Harry backed into a corner before whipping it out.

"Padfoot?" Harry asked surprise, "How'd you get a mirror?"

Ginny looked shocked, "Harry? What-"

"Communication mirror," Harry interrupted with a grin, "But don't tell anyone. It's sort of my secret."

"Well, I still had my copy and we had two more made for Lily and Remus and then we used James's to connect 'em all together. So now we've got a five way mirror, but you can only talk to one person at anytime. Anyway, James and Lily told us what happened. How are you?" Sirius asked in concern.

"I'm holding up pretty well. Just that Ron doesn't believe me, almost the entire school hates me and, well, this Tournament could lead me to my possible death," Harry half-grumbled, half-joked.

"Well, way to hold a positive approach," Sirius said sarcastically at the same time Ginny whacked his arm.

"Harry James Potter, if you ever _joke_ about your death again, I'll bat-bogey you into oblivion!" Ginny hissed.

Sirius smirked, "You tell him, Ginny!" he snickered, "You look more gorgeous than ever, by the way,"

Ginny blushed, "Thank you."

"So, did you just call to flirt with Ginny?" Harry asked in a teasing voice.

"Nah, I actually wanted to tell you somethin' but it never hurts a guy to flirt with a pretty girl," Sirius winked, "Anyway, I wanted to tell you that Wormtail has been spotted in London."

"What? You're kidding!" Harry exclaimed with glee.

Sirius shook his head, his smile widening, "No. The head of the Magical Law Enforcement unit saw him with his partner. They're both prepared to swear in court that they saw him and that he is alive."

"So that means that you'll be free?" Harry asked, excitedly.

"Yes, that does. Hopefully. We're going to the hearing tomorrow and the court expects you, Ron, Hermione, Remus and Snape to testify. Dumbledore will be there as well. You'll get some sort of special note in the mail sometime today,"

Ginny smiled, "Congratulations, Sirius!"

"Thank you. So, I'll see you tomorrow. Hang in there, Harry, and don't worry. Ron will come around soon." Sirius grinned and waved before he disappeared.

"This is incredible! But I still haven't got anything in the mail," Harry frowned.

"Let's go to dinner now. You'll probably get it then," Ginny smiled and took his hand.

Harry paused for a moment, "You won't tell anyone about this, will you?"

Ginny laughed at his worried expression, "No, no! Of course not. Now let's _go_! I'm hungry!"

Harry smiled a crooked smile before they headed down to the Great Hall and took their seats at the Gryffindor table. Laughing, he saw Ginny pile up her plate with almost everything and then looked at her figure.

"You know, if you keep eating like that, you're going to end up a very fat woman," Harry teased.

"Oh cork it will you? I'm a growing girl!" Ginny said.

Hermione shook her head as she saw their banter. They were halfway through their meal when owls arrived with messages for Harry, Ron, Hermione and Snape. Hermione let out a small squeal of excitement.

"So, you're all coming, right?" Harry asked.

"Hell yeah!" Ron grinned.

"I'll be there too!" Hermione smiled.

Harry turned to Ron, half-expecting him to talk with him, but he then saw Ron had turned back to Seamus to continue their conversation.

"What a noob!" Ginny snorted, grinning as she heard Hermione's approval.

Harry smiled softly, "So, you know Snape is going to try and lie about this right?"

Hermione nodded, "He won't be able to because they'll use Veritaserum,"

Harry looked at her with a blank expression, "Verita-what?"

"The truth potion," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Isn't there an antidote against that, though?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, but I'm sure the security is tight in there," Hermione wrinkled her nose.

Harry nodded, finishing the last of his dinner, "I'm going to the Common Room. You coming?" he asked Hermione and Ginny.

They nodded and stood up. Ron glared at Harry as he made his way out. Harry shook his head. He was still upset that Ron was being so standoffish. He realised why, but either way Ron was his best mate and relationships were made out of trust. Harry's mind wandered to the trial that was taking place the day after. He grinned at the prospect of Sirius being a free man again. All he knew, was that he couldn't wait for tomorrow.

* * *

The following evening, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Snape were in Dumbledore's office, huddled around a Portkey they had been sent to take them to the court house. Snape's scowl was deeper than usual. No one spoke, all lost in their own thoughts. It was when Harry finally felt that familiar tug at his navel that he was able to relax. The circular room had a chair in the middle where Harry was told to wait. He sat down and looked around, and wrung his hands together nervously. The room was full of people. A member of the Wizengamot asked Harry to follow him to a smaller room. They were keeping the witnesses separate.

The man who had spoken to him had mousy brown hair and blue eyes. When he spoke, his voice was deep, "You are Harry James Potter?"

Harry nodded. The room suddenly had four or five members of the Wizengamot. Smirking slightly at the stunned expression on Harry's face, the brown haired man gestured for him to sit down.

"We're going to give you a vial of truth potion now as we believe it is necessary for us to get the exact truth from everyone. It is important for this case, which concerns Sirius Black, who is believed to be a mass-murderer. Normally, we wouldn't use a potion, but as we have two completely different stories, we thought it would be better if we use it. Is that alright?"

"Yes, sir."

The man handed Harry a small vial of the potion, which he gulped. The liquid was sour and its effect was immediate. Harry's eyes went glassy and his voice became flat.

"You are Harry James Potter."

"Yes, sir,"

"What happened on the night of 6th June 1994?"

"Ron, Hermione and I went down to visit Hagrid, because his Hippogriff, Buckbeak was about to be executed. This was wrong because Buckbeak was actually innocent. Draco Malfoy hadn't been listening when Hagrid said that Hippogriffs were proud creatures. Malfoy insulted Buckbeak, who got angry and scratched Malfoy on his arm. The gash Malfoy received was minor. Malfoy continued to moan and complain, even after Madam Pomfrey had healed it in around two seconds and told his father. Lucius Malfoy used his status in the Ministry as an advantage and Buckbeak was declared guilty. We knew that Hagrid was upset, so we went to visit him. He told us to go back to school and not to wander around after hours. That these were dangerous times and that we shouldn't have to witness something like that. Just then, Hermione found Scabbers."

"Who's Scabbers?"

"Scabbers was Ron's rat. He had been missing for a while now and we thought that Hermione's cat, Crookshanks had eaten him because there was blood and a bit of cat's hair on Ron's bed sheets, and Scabbers had disappeared. We now know that he had faked his own death."

"What happened after you found Scabbers?" the man enquired.

"Ron and Hermione began to argue. They tend to do that a lot. Then Hagrid told us to leave because Dumbledore, Fudge and the executioner were coming. We snuck out the back door and waited until they were safely in Hagrid's hut and we used my invisibility cloak to creep back up the hill. It was getting dark. Then Scabbers started to fidget in Ron's hand and he finally bit Ron's finger, so Ron dropped him. Ron started to chase Scabbers, and then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, this huge, scruffy dog came out of the shadows and grabbed Ron's leg between his teeth, and dragged him into an opening underneath the Whomping Willow.

"What happened then?"

"Hermione and I followed them. We ended up in the Shrieking Shack. Ron told us that this was a trap, and the dog who had dragged him in was Sirius Black and that Black was an Animagus, who had set the trap to corner and kill me. That's what everyone thought he had escaped for. We started to argue and then I became really angry, so I started to punch Black. Then Uncle Remus came in and used the Disarming Charm to separate us. Then he helped Sirius up and hugged him. I felt shocked and betrayed because Uncle Remus had betrayed me and my parents like that. But then when Uncle Remus and Sirius started to explain everything, it all began to make sense. Sirius told us that he had convinced my mum and dad to change the Secret Keeper to Peter Pettigrew because they thought that Peter was weaker, so that Voldemort wouldn't go looking for him. But no one knew that Peter had gone behind their backs and joined Voldemort. We were all shocked, and just standing there until Snape came in."

"Snape? What did he do?"

"He had been standing there all that time, hidden under my invisibility cloak that I'd left at the base of the tree, when we came in. He knew the truth, but he wouldn't listen to reason and said he was going to turn us all in. I just wanted to know the truth and he was kind of stalling, so I reached under my cloak and pulled out my wand. It seems that Ron and Hermione had the same idea because we all shouted the Disarming Charm together and Snape flew back against that wall and sank to the floor unconscious. Then Uncle Remus and Sirius continued their explanation. Then Sirius took Scabbers from Ron and used a spell to turn him back into his human form. The next thing we saw was Peter Pettigrew in place of the rat. He was being so pathetic, begging me for forgiveness, saying that he hadn't meant to tell Voldemort, that he was just scared. Uncle Remus and Sirius decided that they had enough and were about to kill him, but I stopped them. I knew my parents wouldn't want that. So we tied him up and left the Shrieking Shack. Uncle Remus placed Snape on a stretcher. It was full moon that night and Uncle Remus had forgotten to take his potion. So he transformed, and in that chaos, Pettigrew managed to escape."

The man was gaping at Harry. He couldn't believe three innocent thirteen-year olds had managed to get into that mess, "How did you help Sirius Black escape?"

"Professor McGonagall had given Hermione a Time Turner at the beginning of the year so that she could take on all of those extra classes. We were in the hospital wing. Dumbledore came in and told us that Fudge was going to have the Dementors perform the Kiss on Sirius. Dumbledore told us that he believed us, but there was little he could do to make the Ministry believe us too. He told Hermione that three turns should do it and if everything worked out well, we'd be able to save more than one life. He locked us in. Hermione twisted the Time Turner and we found ourselves in the broom cupboard, watching ourselves heading to Hagrid's. It was scary and very weird. I asked Hermione what was going on, and then she explained what had happened. And then I understood. We were supposed to save Buckbeak too. We hid in the forest until Dumbledore, Fudge and Macnair –the executioner, were in Hagrid's hut, signing paperwork. I approached Buckbeak and bowed. He bowed back so I untied him and, with Hermione's help, I led him to the forest where we were supposed to wait. Then we watched as everyone went into the Whomping Willow and that is when I saw Scabbers and wanted to attack him, but Hermione said it was too dangerous. Once everyone had gone back to school, we flew up to Flitwick's office, where Sirius was, and together we flew to the top of the Astronomy Tower and then let Sirius and Buckbeak fly away. We returned to the hospital wing just in time to see Dumbledore lock the door. We went up to him and told him we had done it, but he had no idea what we were talking about. We got into bed and then we heard Fudge. Sirius had escaped."

The man nodded and pointed his wand at Harry, and murmured an incantation. Harry found, to his relief that he was out of the trance.

"You can go now," the man informed him.

Harry went outside and took a seat in between his parents, "Did you guys get questioned too?"

"Yeah," James nodded.

Harry suddenly smiled, "Where are Arya and Iris?"

Lily wrinkled her nose, "I'm sorry, sweetie, they're at home."

Harry's smile fell, "Oh, that's alright. I just miss them."

"They miss you too, kiddo," James smiled and ruffled his son's hair.

"So what happens now?" Harry asked.

James pointed to the courtroom. "They were questioning Hermione. They've done everyone else, I think, so as soon as she's done, they'll decide and tell us the verdict."

Harry smiled at the hopeful expression on his father's face. Just then Hermione came out.

"How did it go?" Harry asked, patting the bench. His jaw hardened when Ron sat next to her.

"It was good. That potion tastes horrible," Hermione said, making a face.

Ron opened his mouth to say something, but a man from the Wizengamot came out of the courtroom and said, "There will be a short break in order to allow us to discuss what we've found. As soon as it is over, you shall find out the verdict."

Sirius and Remus joined James and Lily, while Snape sat across from them, glaring at Harry, James, Sirius and Remus.

Hermione bit her lip to hide her smile, "Snape and Fudge were both given the truth potion as well, so Snape couldn't lie at all. He's really annoyed about that."

James grinned at Hermione, "I can imagine."

Hermione just grinned back and Harry chuckled. Then his head turned as another Wizengamot member, a woman this time, came out of the room. She cleared her throat before smiling at Sirius, "We have reached a verdict. Firstly, we'd like to put Cornelius Fudge on probation for showing no understanding whilst dealing with this case. One more slip up, Minister, and you will be fired."

Fudge looked pale and nodded his head before scurrying out of the room faster than Harry had ever seen him move.

"Hell, that woman's scary!" Sirius whispered to Lily.

Lily rolled her eyes, "Your life is in her hands right now you know?"

The Counsellor cleared her throat to gain their attention once again before continuing, "We also understand that many rules were broken whilst this case was brought out into the open. No charges will be pressed, however, under the circumstances. Also, we'd like to request Mr Potter and Mr Black to register their Animagus forms immediately. Finally, we'd like to apologize to Mr Black for being put into Azkaban for twelve years for no reason. We are offering you 40,000 galleons as a token of our apology. Thank you very much."

Sirius's face broke out into the widest grin and he was surrounded by the Potters, Ron and Hermione as they congratulated him.

Sirius pulled the trio towards him, "Thank you so much, guys. If it weren't for you, I'd be back in Azkaban."

Harry and Ron waved off his apologies and Hermione kissed him on the cheek. Ron grinned at Harry and Harry grinned back as they watched Sirius embrace Lily, James and Sirius. Snape rolled his eyes and started to leave.

Harry heard someone sniffling next to him and he turned to find Hermione, standing there, tears rolling down her face.

"Hermione?" Harry asked alarmed, pulling her in so he could hug her, "What's wrong?"

"I'm just so happy for Sirius! And look at them, they look so happy and free!" Hermione sobbed.

Ron shook his head, "I'll never understand women. They're mental."

Harry laughed and then his expression turned sour as he saw Snape glaring at him. Dumbledore clapped Sirius on his back, "Congratulations, Sirius. I'm afraid, however, that these three will have leave now."

Harry, Ron and Hermione hugged everyone and said goodbye before using the Portkey to travel back to Hogwarts, with Dumbledore and Snape. They left Dumbledore's office and, to Harry's surprise and dismay, Ron was still not talking to him. They entered the Common Room and saw Ginny waiting for them.

"Well?" Ginny asked impatiently, watching her brother, who ignored her and ran up the stairs.

Harry had a very morose expression on his face and Ginny became very nervous before Harry grinned, "Cleared of all charges!"

Ginny leapt into his arms, before hugging Hermione as well, "That's amazing! I'm so happy for Sirius."

Hermione nodded, "And Fudge is on probation."

"No way! It's about time. I just wish he'd been fired!" Ginny pouted.

Harry and Hermione chuckled. "Well, I'm heading to bed." Hermione smiled and bid them goodnight.

Ginny jumped up to follow her, "Ron's not talking to you yet, is he?"

Harry shook his head.

"My brother can be so idiotic sometimes, that it feels as though we're not related. He'll come around soon," Ginny huffed. "Good night Harry," she said, kissing his cheek.

"Hopefully," Harry said as hugged her.

He headed up to his dormitory, remembering the look on Sirius's face when he found out he was had been cleared. Harry grinned. It had been long overdue. Now all Sirius needed, Harry thought, was the perfect lady to settle down with. He laughed as he thought about what would be going on at Potter Manor at the moment. There was no doubt that the Marauders would get the Firewhiskey out. There was also no doubt that they would be warned not to drink too much, but they would anyway, and would wake up the next morning to three people shouting at them: Daisy, Lily and Dorea. Harry chuckled before sighing and falling asleep almost immediately.

**A/N: Well...How was that? I hope you liked it. Now then...Comments? Questions?...Compliments? Please review, even if it's just a little one saying 'update soon.' I'll update soon. **

**Love,**

**Ishani x**


	20. Chapter 20:The First Task

**A/N: Hello! I hope you're all doing well. As I told you in my last AN for Chapter 19, school is very busy and they're loading us with homework, so I might be able to update as soon as I'd like. Now, I can't believe we're already on Chapter 20 *excited squeal* I honestly didn't think I'd get this far. So I'm hoping this chapter is good. Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing! It means a lot! Now I'll stop my chit chat and let you read :) Meet you at the bottom.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 20: The First Task

The news of Sirius Black being innocent and Fudge going on probation was spreading around the school like wildfire. The school found out that Harry, Ron and Hermione were involved in the case and were either shocked or very much in awe of the trio. They were pestered by the majority of the students who kept asking questions. Ron seemed to like being in the spotlight but Harry and Hermione found it annoying. To make matters worse, most of the students, apart from the Gryffindors, were still against Harry.

Malfoy was very much enjoying tormenting Harry, it seemed, for one day he came into the Potions Class with a badge that read: **Support Cedric Diggory-The Real Hogwarts Champion**. And if you pressed the badge, it would turn a nasty green colour and Harry's face would come up onto the badge, followed by writing that said **Potter Sucks**. Later on, when Malfoy called Hermione a Mudblood, Harry lost it. He had been quite stressed all week, with the prospect of the First Task coming up, and Sirius's court case, and school itself, so Malfoy's insult to Hermione led to a duel between Harry and Malfoy. Harry used the Furnunculus Charm, but it missed Malfoy and hit Goyle instead, causing huge boils to erupt all over his face. Malfoy used the Densaugeo Charm, which hit Hermione and caused her teeth to grow at an alarming rate. When Snape came to break up the fight, he sent Goyle to the hospital wing and turned to Hermione and said he didn't notice a difference in her appearance. Devastated, Hermione fled to the hospital wing in tears. Harry and Ron obviously didn't take all this lying down so they received detentions for arguing.

Harry could only groan when Colin Creevey came to collect him for photos. He followed Colin into the classroom where the other three champions stood, slightly nervously, in front of a man who was holding a camera. When Harry saw the reporter, he was convinced that his day was just getting worse and worse. Rita Skeeter brandished her quill and pad from her bag and grinned impishly looking around the room.

He had heard enough from James, Lily and Remus to hate Rita Skeeter already. Harry had been told that Skeeter tended to twist words and lie in order to get more people to read the Daily Prophet. She was a favourite of those who loved to gossip. Rita Skeeter was nothing more than a gold digger. Harry remembered how scared Mrs Weasley had been when she read the article about the World Cup, which was full of lies, and hated her even more.

Ludo Bagman was there too, his round boyish face gleaming with excitement. He called everyone closer and explained that this was the weighing of wands ceremony. This was to ensure that the wands were functioning correctly and didn't have any problems; then there would be a photo shoot and individual interviews. After Bagman's speech, everyone went back to just staring at something in silence, whilst they waited for Mr Ollivander to come. Rita took the opportunity to interview Harry. She practically dragged Harry into a broom cupboard without listening to his words of protest. She started questioning him, barely listening and instructing her quill to write stuff down, before Harry had even finished his sentence. Harry rolled his eyes and glared at the piece of paper, wondering what kind of lies she would be publishing now.

Thankfully, the door of the broom cupboard opened and Dumbledore called Harry out so that they could proceed with the weighing of the wands. Mr Ollivander examined each of the champions' wands before saying they were all alright. A few photos were taken and then Harry was finally able to escape and make his way down to dinner.

He sat at the Gryffindor table with a scowl on his face until he saw Hedwig swoop in along with another owl. She stopped near his plate and hooted at him softly as he stroked her feathers. He untied the letter from her leg and he watched Ginny do the same thing to the other owl.

Hermione, who was sitting on the other side of Harry's, grinned as Hedwig nipped her fingers,

"Hey, girl."

Harry opened the letter and was surprised to see Hagrid's messy scrawl.

**Harry,**

**Come down to meet me at my hut, around midnight. Bring that special cloak of yours too. You'll need it.**

**Hagrid.**

Ginny saw Harry's expression, "What's wrong, Harry?"

"Nothing. Hagrid wants me to meet him at midnight," Harry said softly, looking very puzzled.

Ginny raised her eyebrows, "Really? Bill told me to go too."

Hermione looked confused, "What?"

Harry frowned noticing something different, "Hermione, you look different!"

Hermione blushed and Ginny grinned, "Your teeth! What happened?"

Hermione giggled, "Well, when Malfoy hit me with that spell, I went to the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey was shrinking them down. She told me to tell her when they were back to normal, but I might have let her shrink them down a little further."

"Well, it looks great, Hermione," Harry grinned.

"Thank you, Harry!" Hermione smiled, ruffling his hair.

Ginny handed the letter to Hermione, chuckling, and she began to read it with Harry.

**Dear Ginny,**

**How are you doing? How's school going? Have you been getting all your homework done? I know you're probably surprised to get this letter because I wrote to you just yesterday**** telling you how everything's been going, so I'll get down to business straight away.**

**Mum's been going mad with worry. As soon as she heard about Harry being allowed in the tournament, she went insane. She's been nagging me and Charlie about doing something to help Harry, so we are. You're going to have to sneak out tonight. I can't tell you why, because there's a chance we could both get into trouble. Just be careful and go to the other end of the Hogwarts grounds. I know Harry has that cloak, so ask him to use it.**

**Write back and tell me whether your little gift helped Harry or not. And tell Ron I think he's a git for not sticking with his friend.**

**Love,**

**Bill.**

"What sort of gift?" Hermione asked.

Ginny shrugged, "I have no idea. I'll sneak out later tonight,"

"Well, Bill seems to be on my side," Harry grimaced.

"This is hard for both of you. I know you didn't ask for this and Ron knows that, but it's always you and he hates being shunned to the side. He'll come around once he realizes what an idiot he's being," Hermione sighed.

"I'm sorry," Harry mumbled, realizing how hard this must be for her.

Hermione shook her head, "It's not your fault. I'm just tired of running from one person to the other. You're both my best friends and I don't want to be in the middle or choose between the two of you."

"I understand, Hermione." Harry smiled in apology. Hermione gave his hand a squeeze.

Harry continued to eat his food, wondering why Hagrid wanted him to come down at midnight.

* * *

It was just past eleven forty-five that night, when Harry snuck out of the entrance doors, concealed in his invisibility cloak, and made his way to Hagrid's hut. He knocked softly on the door and a few seconds later he saw Hagrid beaming down at him.

"'Arry?"

"Yeah. Uh, what's going on?" Harry asked anxiously.

"Make sure yeh stay under that cloak 'Arry. I tell yeh, you're in for real treat. Yeh'll be glad yeh came. Jus' follow me."

Harry followed Hagrid to the Beauxbatons carriage and stifled a groan as he realised Hagrid had a massive crush on Madame Maxime, who kept fluttering her eyelashes as they flirted back and forth. Harry was just about to leave when he caught sight of them.

Dragons. Four gigantic dragons were struggling to get free from the chains they were wrapped in. They each had a cage, the bars glistened each time a dragon let out fire from its mighty jaws as the metal reflected the light.

Charlie Weasley chuckled as he saw Hagrid with the Beauxbatons headmistress, "Nice date, Hagrid."

"I just wanted her to see them," Hagrid said, his eyes misting as he looked at the dragons longingly.

Harry yanked the cloak off, "Dragons? Why did you want to show me dragons?"

Charlie looked at Harry nervously, "Harry, the dragons are for the first task,"

"W-what?" Harry stuttered, his face pale, "What am I going to have to do?"

"Get past them I think. They've told us to bring nesting mothers," Charlie told him.

"Which ones do you have, Charlie?" Hagrid called. Harry hadn't realised Hagrid and Madam Maxime had gotten as close as they could to the dragons.

Charlie and Harry moved closer to Hagrid. "The one on the far left is a Swedish Short-Snout. The one next to it is a Common Welsh Green. I suppose you could say that it's the tamest of all the four. The one with the scarlet scales is a Chinese Fireball, and the one we're closest to is a Hungarian Horntail, which happens to be the most dangerous."

Harry jumped when someone poked his shoulder, "Ginny!"

Ginny giggled as Charlie grabbed her and pulled her in for a bear hug, "Little one! How're you doing?"

Ginny mock-scowled, "I think I've grown out of that nickname! I'm fine. Bill told me I'd be getting a gift that would help Harry; I just didn't know it would be this good!"

Charlie chuckled, "Grew out of it? Sorry to burst your bubble doll, but you're still very short."

Ginny punched Charlie on his arm grinning as she heard a groan. "Harry? You alright?"

Harry smiled at her and nodded.

Ginny turned to Charlie, "Daniel was showing me the dragons up close. That Horntail looks nasty."

Charlie nodded, "He is. Well, kids, you'd better head to bed now. I'm sure Harry wouldn't mind sharing his cloak with you, Gin. I'll see you later."

Ginny nodded and wrapped her arms around her brother before leaving with Harry, both of them under the cloak.

"Ok, Harry, what's wrong?" Ginny asked.

Harry looked at Ginny in surprise, wondering how she knew. He hesitated before saying, "I guess I'm just really nervous. I don't think I'll be able to face the dragons!"

Ginny shook her head, "That's stupid, Harry. We all believe in you. You should believe in yourself too. Think about it: in your first year, you escaped Voldemort again and you stopped him from returning; in my first year, you rescued me from the Chamber of Secrets and fought Tom Riddle, and last year, you helped Sirius escape. What makes you think you won't be able to make it through this task?"

Harry shrugged, "I've always had help from someone."

"Well, what makes you think we won't help you this year?" Ginny raised her eyebrows.

Harry smiled and nodded, feeling slightly better, "Thanks, Gin."

"No problem. After all, what are friends for, right?" Ginny grinned.

"Right," Harry said, as they entered the Gryffindor Common Room where Hermione was sitting waiting for them. Harry pulled the cloak off them.

"Well? What happened?" Hermione asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"Dragons," Harry replied, "Hagrid and Charlie showed us dragons. That's what I'm facing for the first task."

"Dragons?" Hermione asked going pale, "Oh dear."

Harry nodded, "I think we have to get past them. But I'm not sure."

"There are four dragons. A Chinese Fireball, a Common Welsh Green, a Swedish Short-Snout and a Hungarian Horntail. Charlie said that the Horntail's the worst. They're all nesting mothers, but the Horntail's mean and got loads of attitude," Ginny informed.

Hermione nodded, "I think we need to get some sleep. Things might look a little better in the morning. At least we know what Harry's up against."

Harry and Ginny agreed. Hermione and Ginny kissed Harry's cheek before heading upstairs and Harry also went to his bed. Once he was in his bed, he tugged the mirror out of his pocket and whispered his father's name.

Harry grinned when he saw James's face, "'Ello?"

"Dad?"

"Harry? What's wrong? It's almost two in the morning," James said, concerned. Lily rubbed her eyes as she sat up next to him.

"I've... err... found out what the first task is. Hagrid showed me. It's dragons," Harry said.

"Dragons?" Lily shrieked.

James's eyes widened, "What do you have to do?"

Harry shook his head, "I'm not sure. I think we have to get past them. Charlie Weasley was there, he told me that they were all nesting mothers. I have no idea what I'm going to do. I'm doomed."

James ran a hand through his hair and Lily bit her lip. She said, "We'll run it by the Marauders and Dorea tomorrow and see what they say. You do some research with Hermione and Ginny and then we'll compare the notes," she sniffled, "My poor baby!"

Harry grimaced, "Thanks, Mum. The task is in two day though. Are you coming?"

"Of course!" James exclaimed, "We'll all be there."

Harry nodded, "Alright. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Lily smiled, "Goodnight, sweetheart. Get some sleep and please don't mull over it now. You're going to need some shut-eye."

Harry smiled back, "Okay. Goodnight."

His parents waved at him before disappearing. Harry lay back in bed and shut his eyes, willing for sleep to wash over him.

* * *

Harry left the Great Hall that morning feeling very tired. He saw Cedric a little further down the corridor with his friends. Harry remembered that both Madam Maxime and Karkaroff knew about the dragons and that they would have told their champions. He ignored Hermione's calls as he quickened his pace.

"Cedric!" Harry called, ignoring the sneers of Cedric's friends. "Cedric, can I talk to you for a moment, privately?"

His friends began to disapprove, but Cedric glared at them, "Go to class, guys, I'll catch up." He waited till his friends had gone and turned to Harry with a dazzling smile on his face, "Harry, what's wrong?"

"Cedric, I uhh...look... the first task, it's dragons."

"W-what?" Cedric asked in surprise.

"Dragons. I think we have to get past them. I'm not entirely sure, they have four though. One for each champion," Harry told him.

"Why are you telling me this?" Cedric asked, surprised.

"Well, Fleur and Krum know and so do I. It wouldn't have been fair if you didn't," Harry shrugged.

Cedric nodded, "Thanks, Harry, and listen, about the badges, I've asked them not to wear-"

Harry shook his head and held up his hand, "Don't worry about it, I'm used to them."

"Well, I have to get to class. I'll see you around," Cedric said.

Harry waved and watched him leave. Then, just as he was about to head to his lesson, he sighed as he heard Moody.

"Potter. Come to my office."

Harry groaned and followed Moody into his office. Looking around at the dark detectors and foe glasses, Harry repressed a shudder. Moody kicked a stool towards Harry and he took a seat.

"That was a nice thing you did for Diggory back there, Potter."

Harry's eyes widened in astonishment; he was sure that Moody was going to yell at him for cheating. "Thank you, sir."

"So, do you have any idea how you're going to get past that dragon?" Moody asked.

Harry shook his head.

"Well I'm going to give you a little bit of advice. I don't like to play favourites, so I'm going to give you some general advice. First things first: play to your strengths."

"I don't have any," Harry practically whined.

"Excuse me, if I say you've got strengths, you've got them. Now come on, boy, tell me what you're best at," Moody growled.

Harry shrugged. It wasn't that difficult, "Quidditch."

"That's right. You're a fair flier. Far more than fair, more like damn good, from what I've heard." Moody raised his eyebrows, his magical eye swivelled around excitedly.

"Yeah, but I'm not allowed a broomstick," Harry persisted in finding problems.

"You are allowed a wand." Moody said.

Harry's eyes widened and he nodded in understanding as he remembered the Summoning Charm he had read about in his Charms textbook, "Thanks sir!"

Harry rushed out of the classroom and headed to his next class. He met Hermione there, who scolded him for ignoring her in the morning, and he apologized rather hurriedly and started to explain what Moody had told him. Hermione grinned and promised to help. That day, they skipped lunch and headed to an empty classroom where Harry began to practice the Summoning Charm. By the end of the day, Harry had managed to master it and he finally felt as if he had a chance.

He was in bed, when he decided to tell his parents. He said his father's name to the mirror, grinning when James and Lily's faces appeared, "Hi. I know what I'm going to do tomorrow."

Lily was relieved to see such confidence on her son's face. "Really? All the spells we found were a bit too advanced for your level. Well? What are you going to do?"

Harry laughed, "You'll find out tomorrow."

James grinned, "Alright, kiddo, are you sure you're ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Harry replied as he nodded, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"That you will, honey. Goodnight." Lily smiled.

Harry waved goodbye and shoved the mirror in the pocket of his robes. He lay back on his bed and closed his eyes, trying to forget that he was going to face a dragon the next day.

* * *

The next morning, Harry followed McGonagall into a large tent. The other three champions were there already and Cedric gave him a warm smile. Bagman asked everyone to huddle up together. He explained that the champions would go out one by one. They were asked to reach into a bag and pull out a figure of the thing they would face. Their objective was to take the golden egg from the nest. Fleur pulled out the Welsh Green with a number two around its neck. Her face showed no surprise, just plain determination. Krum pulled out the Chinese Fireball with the number three on it; Cedric got the Swedish Short-Snout with the number one on it. Harry gulped as he pulled out the Hungarian Horntail. He would be going last.

He sat in the tent and waited his turn. He heard the screams, yells and groans from the crowd and the roar of the dragons. He was shaking when it was his turn. He stepped out into the clearing and suddenly became more confident when he saw the faces of his family beaming at him. Seamus and Dean were holding a large banner that said **Potter for President**. With newfound hope, he aimed his wand up at the sky and said, "Accio Firebolt."

He closed his eyes as he sank behind the rock, waiting, praying. And then he heard it. He turned and grinned as he saw his Firebolt behind him, hurtling through the woods. He swung his leg over the broom and kicked off. This was his comfort zone and Harry's smile widened as he became more confident. He told himself that this was just another Quidditch match. He looked back at the crowd; their faces were tiny, barely visible in fact. He caught sight of the nest of eggs and the gleaming golden one, situated in the middle.

Suddenly, he dived. The crowd's approval was deafening. The Horntail raised her head and snapped her jaws, but he found it easy to swerve away as she let out a gust of fire. It was no more than dodging a Bludger. Harry continued upward, making circles in the air. The Horntail's head was moving around and around, if Harry continued this, he knew that she would become dizzy. Harry dropped a few feet as the dragon let out another blow of fire. This time he was unlucky as the fire grazed his shoulder. He gritted his teeth.

He needed to get her away from those eggs, so he flew further and further, hoping she would follow him. The Horntail did exactly as Harry wanted. She rose up, leaving her eggs unprotected, her wings spread out on either side of her. Harry made a dive abruptly, and stretched his arms out, grabbing the golden egg and then he flew up again, confusing the dragon. He soared over the stand, watching the crowd, who had gone absolutely mad. Bagman was roaring his approval of Harry's performance.

The dragon keepers rushed forward to keep the Horntail under control. She followed them, defeated, her head hung low, into her cage. Harry kept flying over the entrance to the enclosure, towards the medical tent, where McGonagall stood with Harry's family, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Hagrid and Moody.

Madam Pomfrey seemed very annoyed as she tended to Harry's arm. She kept muttering about how dangerous the activities were. But Harry didn't pay any attention to her. He just grinned broadly as his family came into the tent along with his friends...including Ron.

Harry was hugged by his family, Hermione and Ginny. Ron stood there looking slightly awkward. Then he cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"Harry, I-I reckon someone else put your name in that Goblet. I'm sorry, mate."

Harry glared at Ron, "You took your time," he said, before smiling.

Ron sighed in relief and Hermione burst into tears.

"You're crying _again_?" Ron asked in disbelief.

"You two are just so stupid!" Hermione howled, hugging them both.

Lily laughed, "Well done, Harry. You flew so well!"

Harry grinned at his mother, "Well, I did learn from the best."

James chuckled, "Damn straight!"

Sirius shook his head solemnly, "Ladies and gentlemen, his ego has officially inflated!"

Hermione and Ginny giggled. "You really were amazing, Harry. Definitely the best out there," Ginny smiled.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, James and Lily went out to see what Harry's score was. Harry had managed to come first. He followed Bagman to the tent for a few minutes to allow him to explain the rules for the second task. He entered the tent and grinned as Cedric congratulated him on his performance; Harry thanked him and turned his attention to Bagman. Bagman explained that the clue for the second task was in the egg, and that the second task would take place in February.

Harry grinned at his family as he left the tent, "You know what? I think I got worked up for no reason! That was pretty easy."

"Good Lord, child! You really do take after your father!" Dorea chuckled.

Harry smiled as he hugged Arya and Iris, "Scary thought, eh?"

James just stuck his tongue out. Harry grinned as they made their way to the Gryffindor Tower. Hagrid was right, dragons actually weren't that bad at all.

**A/N: Well...what are your thoughts after that chapter? I hope you liked it. So I'm pretty excited for the next chapter...'The Yule Ball.' Reviews get teasers :D and if you would like a teaser, pick a number between 1 and 7 :) Please review...even if it's just a little note saying 'update soon.'**

**Love,**

**Ishani x**


	21. Chapter 21:The Yule Ball

**A/N: I'd like to start by thanking every single person who has reviewed this story. Thank you so much! You're reviews are a delight. I'd also like to apologise for the late update...school's been a killer. I'm hoping things will be more settled after this holiday. Anyway, the Yule Ball chapter is finally up. Dresses will be on my profile for those of you who want to see them. Once again, thank you for the reviews, they make me smile. :) I hope you like the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.**

Chapter 21: The Yule Ball.

For a few days after the First Task, the school was buzzing with excitement, congratulating either Harry or Cedric, or in some cases both. Harry's homework load had increased considerably, and his classes were getting more interesting. Hagrid's class, however, had become increasingly frightening. Hagrid had figured out what Blast-Ended Skrewts ate, so they had grown at an alarming rate. They were also grumpier, and Harry's class often left with many singes and burns they had to treat. In Harry's opinion, they were much, much worse than a Horntail. Rita Skeeter had also taken the chance to interview him. Harry was concerned about this, almost a hundred percent sure that she was going to twist his words around, and judging from Hermione's furious expression when they saw Skeeter, he wasn't the only one.

There was one time Hermione had dragged Harry and Ron to the kitchens. They became worried, thinking that this was something to do with S.P.E.W. They protested, but Hermione wouldn't hear it. Harry sighed as they followed her, shaking his head. When they entered the kitchen, Harry was greeted by a very familiar face. It was Dobby. He was very shocked to see him here, but even more so when he saw Winky. Dobby told him his tale of how he had found it so difficult to find a job where he would get paid, then all of a sudden Dobby thought that he should try at Hogwarts and Dumbledore was more than happy to comply. Winky, on the other hand, was still devastated. She was sobbing, huddled up near the fireplace, with a bottle full of Butterbeer. The other house-elves gave her looks of disappointment and frustration. Harry cast his eyes to the four or five empty bottles that surrounded her. He knew from Dotty that Butterbeer was a very strong drink for a house-elf. It was one of the reasons, Dotty had said, that Daisy never let him have any.

One evening all the Gryffindors had been called to McGonagall's classroom. They had no idea what to expect and were surprised to see that there were no desks, but there were a few lines of chairs on either side of the classroom. McGonagall stood at the front, smiling slightly. She instructed the boys to sit on one side of the classroom and the girls on the other. She explained that the Yule Ball was coming up and that it was a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament. McGonagall smiled before telling them that the Yule Ball was also a dance.

Loud groans and protests from the boys' side followed that statement, while the girls squealed with excitement. McGonagall's eyebrows rose as she told them that she expected them to be on their best behaviour and told them that they were expected to bring a date. Harry sighed and bit back another groan. He wondered who he was going to ask. McGonagall stopped him as he left and informed him that he would definitely need a date as he would be opening the dance, along with the other Champions.

As they walked up to the Common Room, Ginny asked, "So, do you guys have any idea who you're going to take?"

Harry shook his head, "Not yet."

Ron raised his eyebrows, "Why do you care anyway? You can't even go to the Ball!"

"I can go, if someone asks me," Ginny said, glaring at her brother.

Ron shrugged as they entered the Common Room and headed straight up to his bed.

Hermione bit her lip, "What's wrong with him?"

Ginny laughed, "No one knows."

Hermione giggled along with her. "So, do you think Michael is going to ask you?"

Ginny shook her head, "I don't think so. He's so hard to figure out. He's been flirting with me all week, but I don't think he will."

"How do you know?" Harry asked.

Ginny shrugged, "I just have this feeling. I think he might be going with someone else."

Harry looked confused, "Why would he do that?"

Hermione smiled, "To make Ginny jealous!"

"How do you know?" Harry repeated.

"Luna told me," Ginny grinned.

"So who are you going with?" Harry asked.

"Well, if Michael asks me, then I'll go with him. Otherwise, I don't know." Ginny frowned.

Harry nodded. "I don't know who I'm going to ask either." His eyes locked with Ginny.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Harry nodded at them. "Yeah. Goodnight you two."

Ginny smiled and Hermione reached forward to hug him, "'Night."

He headed up to his dormitory, watching Hermione and Ginny as they continued to giggle. _Girls_, He thought, shaking his head. Harry sat on his bed and lay back, thinking about who he should ask. After around two minutes of pondering, he decided that this wasn't going to get him anywhere and that he would decide tomorrow. He closed his eyes, sighing softly before drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

The next three days were difficult for Harry, Ron and practically every boy they knew. They had just begun to realise how many girls there were at Hogwarts. Many of them had gone to extreme measures to get boys to ask them, for instance when a third year girl almost pinched Ron's butt. He was mortified of course, and furious.

It was difficult to choose who to ask out, and a lot of girls were taken already. Harry found out that Cedric had asked Cho out. He was happy for Cedric and just wondered how he could cope with Cho's rudeness.

One day, though, it seemed Ron had had enough, He turned to Harry and sighed, "Listen, mate, by the end of today, we will both get dates for the dance. Deal?"

Harry agreed, but he still didn't know who to ask. So he returned to the Common Room that evening, having just finished one of his Animagus lessons with McGonagall. He expected Ron to have a date, seeing as he was so determined this morning. But to his surprise, Ron was sitting in the Common Room, with Ginny rubbing his arm comfortingly and Hermione sitting in front of him, a half-anxious, half-amused expression on her face.

"Ron? What's the matter?" Harry asked, nervously.

Ron just shook his head and groaned. Harry turned to Hermione and Ginny for some sort of explanation.

Ginny bit her lip, "He asked Fleur Delacour to the Ball,"

"No! What did she say?" Harry asked.

"No, of course!" Hermione told him, gesturing to Ron's state. Then Ron shook his head and Hermione gasped in shock, "She said _yes_?"

Ron laughed bitterly, "What? No! Of course not. She didn't. She just looked at me and walked away."

Ginny scowled, "That's awful!"

Ron shook his head sheepishly, "It was partly my fault. You see, when I asked her, I kind of shouted it out."

Hermione shook her head, "But still..."

"Fleur is pert Veela, Ron. You were right. So that's why Ron... err... acted like an idiot." Harry replied.

Ron nodded, "Oh." And then, all of a sudden, his face lit up, "Oi, Hermione, you're a girl!"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Really, Ronald? I had absolutely no idea!"

"No. I just mean that you could go to the Ball with me and Ginny could go with Harry," Ron suggested.

Hermione's eyes were slits. "So now that you've finally realised _I'm _a _girl_, you think you can use me as a last resort to go to the Ball. Well, I'll tell you something, Ronald. The answer is no, and anyway I already have a date!"she hissed. Then she turned on her heel and stormed up the stairs.

Ron snorted, "Yeah, right. She's just mad I didn't ask sooner."

"You prat, Ron! She actually does have a date. _You _should be mad at yourself for not asking her sooner." Ginny glared at him.

Ron snorted again and got up, walking to where Parvati and Lavender were standing.

Harry turned to Ginny, "So, err, will you go...to the Ball with me?"

A tinge of pink appeared on Ginny's cheeks, "You're not just saying that because Ron suggested it are you?"

Harry shook his head, "No. I really want to go with you." This wasn't a lie. Now that Ron had suggested it, Harry wondered why he hadn't thought of it before.

Ginny smiled, "Then I'd love to."

Harry grinned, "Great! Then it's a date." Harry's eyes widened, wondering where that final statement came from.

Ginny giggled, "I guess it is." She kissed his cheek. "I'll see you later, Harry."

Ginny walked up the stairs and Harry grinned as he leant back on the armchair. He was just about to leave, when Ron came over with a very smug grin.

"What's up, mate?" Harry asked.

"I just asked Parvati to the dance." Ron's grin widened.

"Really?" Harry said, surprised.

"Yeah, and guess what? You know her sister? She's going with Neville," Ron snickered.

Harry shook his head at Ron, "That's amazing!"

"Yeah," Ron's smile faltered, "Who're you going with?"

Harry smiled, "I'm going with Ginny?"

Ron's eyes widened, "What?"

Harry shrugged, "We're just going as friends."

"Oh," Ron shrugged, "That's okay, then."

Harry grinned as they headed to their dormitories. He finally had a date!

* * *

Harry woke up on Christmas morning. He grinned as he saw his presents. They were piled on top of each other at the foot of his bed. He reached out for the one wrapped in red paper and found a book called _Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland _from Hermione; a bag of Dungbombs from Ron; a few books on the Magical Properties of Magical Plants from Neville; a large box of Sugar Quills from Ginny; from Sirius, he got a handy penknife; Remus gave him an book about fighting the Dark Arts; from James and Lily, he got a few novels; he got a box of sweets including all Harry's favourites: Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, and Fizzing Whizbees and from Mrs Weasley he got mince pies and an emerald green sweater with a dragon on it.

The remaining part of the morning was spent thanking people for presents and then Fred and George arranged a huge snowball fight in which most Gryffindors took part. Ron was disgruntled because Hermione still wouldn't tell him who she was going with. He still thought she was lying, and had become so desperate to know the answer, that he went to ask Ginny, who just told him to mind his business.

The girls went up to their dormitories half way through the game, telling the boys they had to get ready. The boys continued to play for a little while, until they were thoroughly wet. Harry changed into his robes and tried to tame his hair –at this he failed miserably. He shrugged and made sure he looked presentable and then headed out into the Common Room to wait for Ginny.

Ginny and Parvati came down together. They both looked stunning. Ginny was in a sparkly, royal blue dress, with a bow in the middle. The colour went amazingly with her creamy, white skin, her hair pinned back beautifully. She had just enough make up on to highlight her chocolate brown eyes and her pink lips, and a little blush to accentuate her cheekbones.

Parvati was in a bright fuchsia dress, her hair pinned back just slightly. Ron stepped forward to greet her and Harry did the same to Ginny.

"Hallo, Ginny," Harry grinned.

Ginny smiled, "Hallo."

They linked arms. "You look beautiful, Ginny."

Ginny blushed a little, "Thank you, Harry."

They watched as Ron and Parvati left. Harry called out, "Ron? Aren't you waiting for Hermione?"

Ron shook his head, "She has a date. Why should I wait for her?"

Parvati rolled her eyes as he tugged her arm and smiled apologetically to Harry and Ginny, who chuckled. Harry heard Ginny gasp all of a sudden and then, when he turned, he knew why.

"She looks beautiful," Ginny smiled.

Harry just nodded as they watched Hermione glide down the stairs. Her dress was light pink and it brought out the honey tints in her hair. The dress had ripples which added to her grace. Her hair was a sleek, smooth French twist. To Harry's surprise, she put her hand in Viktor Krum's and gave them a small wink as she passed them.

"Krum?" Harry asked.

Ginny giggled, "Apparently."

Harry smiled down at her, "Shall we go?"

Ginny nodded yes and the other Champions lined up in front of them. They entered the hall and Harry gasped. Normally, for Christmas the Great Hall was decorated wonderfully, but now it was so amazing that it looked magical. The walls were covered with silver, the statues had all been taken away, and the tables had disappeared. There was a huge space in the middle of the room. Mistletoe and ivy hung from the ceiling and silver instruments stood on one side of the stage. Harry and Ginny stepped onto the dance floor and the music began. With one hand on Ginny's waist, they began to Waltz slowly across the floor. It was only for thirty seconds that the Champions danced just on their own and then slowly the other students began to join them.

After the first dance, Harry and Ginny joined the Champions' table. Harry sat in the middle of Hermione and Ginny. Dumbledore told them how to order their dinner and then Ginny and Harry turned to talk to Hermione at the same time.

"Hermione, you look gorgeous!" Ginny squealed.

"You really do look beautiful," Harry smiled.

Hermione blushed, "Really? Thank you! I love the dress and the way my hair's done up now, but it's way too much work."

Harry raised his eyebrows, "What about Krum?"

Hermione giggled, "He... err... he asked me at the library."

Krum was trying to gain Hermione's attention, so Harry smirked and turned back to Ginny who smiled back.

"Do you want to go back down to Ron after the meal?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I think we'd better. I feel sorry for Parvati," Ginny sighed.

"Why?" Harry asked puzzled.

"I think Ron's got a little bit of the green eyed monster," Ginny giggled.

"Really?" Harry asked, a little clueless, "Why?"

Ginny shook her head, "You'll find out."

The food was delicious and the meal went quickly. Ginny and Harry danced a little more afterwards and everyone became really excited when the Weird Sisters came. Ginny practically dragged Harry to the middle of the dance floor as they began to dance again. They switched partners from time to time. Harry danced with Lavender, Padma and Hermione.

He grinned at Hermione as they twirled on the dance floor. Krum glared at Harry, when Hermione giggled and Harry bit back a laugh, "Why is your date glaring at me?"

Hermione gasped and shook her head laughing, "He isn't!

Krum cut in just a minute later, which made Harry laugh harder. He headed to the table where Ron was sulking. Ginny and Parvati sat on either side of him. Ginny looked like she was trying to stop herself from laughing whilst Parvati looked a little annoyed. To be fair, Harry couldn't blame them.

Harry looked at where Ron was glaring and could see that what Ginny had said earlier was true. He was surprised, of course, but now he couldn't help but wonder if what his parents had said was true. Maybe they would end up together? It did always seem that Ron and Hermione were more than just best friends. Well, apparently they were right.

"Mate, you've got one of the prettiest girls in the school next to you and you're sulking? Hermione's just having fun, let her. You know tomorrow she'll be back to studying and all the stuff we're used to," Harry told him.

Ron just pouted as Parvati dragged him to the dance floor.

Ginny giggled, shaking her head, "Mum did tell me he was a very stubborn kid."

Harry joined her, "I think that shows," then he got up, "Hey, you want to dance some more?"

Ginny nodded, "I'd love to!"

He grinned as he thought of the advice and the talk he'd gotten this summer, girls aren't that bad either, he thought, as he and Ginny danced until their feet started to hurt.

**A/N: So? How was that? Let me know what you thought. I really hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it haha :) Once again, reviews get teasers. The next chapter will be the second task. Please review...even if it's just a small one saying 'update soon.'**

**Ishani x**


	22. Chapter 22:The Second Task

**A/N: Wow...we have over 200 reviews! Thank you soo much! :) I'm sorry I was late to update. Once again, thank you for your reviews, they mean a lot. Enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 22: The Second Task

Harry and Ginny walked back to the Common Room together, giggling. Their feet were sore, but they'd had an amazing time. Their arms were linked and their cheeks were pink.

Ginny sighed, "Wow. My feet are tingling,"

Harry laughed, "I know what you mean. I can't believe it's past two in the morning!"

"I didn't think they would allow us to stay out so late!" Ginny giggled.

Harry grinned. Ginny smiled up at him, "Did you see Ron, though? Gosh, he was acting like such a twerp!"

Harry shrugged, "He was jealous, wasn't he?" He asked as they entered the Common Room.

Ginny didn't answer him; she just stared at Hermione, who was just as red as Ron, who was standing in front of Hermione, his fists clenched.

"STOP BEING SUCH A JERK, RONALD! WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?"

"I MEAN THAT YOU WERE FRATERNIZING WITH THE ENEMY!"

Hermione's eyes were slits, "THE ENEMY? HE WASN'T THE ENEMY WHEN _YOU _WERE PRACTICALLY _DROOLING _OVER HIM!"

Ron ignored that last sentence. "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HARRY'S FRIEND AND YOU'RE BETRAYING HIM BY HANGING AROUND WITH THE COMPETITION! SO, DID YOU HELP HIM WORK OUT THE CLUE TO HIS EGG? DID HE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT HARRY? HOW MUCH DID YOU TELL HIM?"

Parvati came down the stairs. She had changed out of her ball gown and her jaw was clenched as she stood next to Ginny and Harry. Ginny's eyes were wide and her mouth, set in a firm line, was hard. She was currently contemplating hitting her brother.

Hermione's eyes filled with tears, "HOW DARE YOU? I WOULDN'T EVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT! AND FOR YOUR INFORMATION, VIKTOR AND I DIDN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT AT ALL!"

"WELL THEN IT'S OBVIOUS THAT HE WANTED SOMETHING ELSE, AND BY THE LOOKS OF IT, YOU ALREADY GAVE IT TO HIM. YOU LOOK LIKE A TRAMP."

Ginny's grip on Harry's hand tightened. Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing!

"I LOOK LIKE A TRAMP?" Hermione's voice was ice-cold; she lowered her voice, making it sound all the more deadly, "Well, fine. If you want to think that then do so. I couldn't care less. I just thought I looked good tonight!"

"GOOD?" Ron chuckled sardonically, "YOU LOOKED LIKE A HARLOT."

Harry stepped forward, and grabbed both Ginny's and Parvati's hand. Their faces held rage, shock and annoyance, and they looked like they were going to murder Ron, and if Harry was honest with himself, he couldn't blame them.

Hermione rolled her eyes and then shut them briefly, squeezing the tears back, "Well, you know what the solution is, don't you?"

"WHAT?" Ron roared.

"IF IT BOTHERS YOU SO MUCH, THE NEXT TIME WE HAVE A DANCE, TRY TO MAN UP AND GET THE COURAGE TO ASK ME BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE DOES!" Hermione screamed, and then raced up the stairs, into her bedroom.

Ginny and Parvati followed her, stopping for just two seconds, to glare at Ron.

"Right, yeah, that's just completely beside the point," Ron mumbled. Then he glared at Harry and stormed up the stairs. Harry sighed as he followed him.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Ron?" Harry asked.

"Piss off, Harry. I'm not in the mood," Ron grumbled.

"No; really, Ron. Why would you call Hermione a tramp?" Harry continued.

Ron shrugged. "It just came out, alright? I didn't mean to call her that,"

Harry snorted, "Yeah, sure. Look, she isn't fraternizing with the enemy. Why the hell didn't you think that Krum might actually like Hermione for who she is? She looked amazing tonight. And she wouldn't do something like that to me. She loves me-"

Ron glared at Harry, "She loves you? Well, then why didn't you ask her out? If _you're_ supposed to be the happy couple?"

Rolling his eyes, Harry shook his head, "Not like that, you idiot. I love her the way you love Ginny. Like a sister, nothing else. You'd think that a friend would be more supportive of a relationship she's happy with, even if it is with Krum. Really, Ron, you acted like a total prat tonight." Harry sighed before continuing, "If you ever do something like that again, I will hurt you, whether you're my best friend or not."

Ron turned around to open his trunk, "Alright, _alright_! I'll apologize to her tomorrow,"

"You know best!" Harry nodded and then grinned as Seamus, Neville and Dean came in, all looking exhausted. They said goodnight and retired to their beds. Harry grimaced as he thought of the egg. He hadn't opened it since the party they'd had after the first task. He made a mental note to look at it the next day and closed his eyes as he drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

The next day, Harry woke up early, got ready and flew down the staircase to breakfast. There was barely anyone there and Harry couldn't blame them. He knew most of the students hadn't gone to bed before 3am. Harry took some toast just as Hedwig swooped in, landing beside him.

"Hey, Hedwig." Harry grinned, stroking her feathers. Hedwig stuck her foot out patiently as Harry untied the letter. Then she hooted softly and nipped at Harry's finger affectionately before flying out of the Hall. Harry opened the letter and smiled as he read:

**Dear Harry,**

**Happy Holidays kiddo! I hope your Christmas went well. How was the Yule Ball? We heard from Molly that you went with Ginny? How'd that go?**

**Our Christmas here was amazing, we missed you, though. Sirius snuck two piles of cookies from Daisy's jar and then he went hyper. It was kind of scary actually. He used to be like this when we were at school, we thought he'd grow out of it, but he didn't. Iris and Arya couldn't stop giggling, and Biscuits had lots of fun with the wrapping paper. The present you sent us was amazing. I think Fred and George could really become successful with **_**Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, **_**not that we got to use them, of course. Lily confiscated them first, which left us pouting for about a half hour.**

**I've heard something fishy from the Ministry. Barty Crouch is ill and he's never off sick, and believe me, when I say never, I mean never. I don't even think he's taken a vacation before. Apparently Percy Weasley's taking his place for now, but it's still very weird.**

**Have you tried figuring out what's in that egg? Let us know soon, kiddo. ****Your mum's going mad with worry.**

**Love,**

**Mum, Dad, Grandma, Uncle Remus, Sirius, Iris and Arya**

Harry grinned as he folded the letter up and placed it in his pocket. He was leaving the Hall to go to the Gryffindor Common Room when he heard Cedric call his name.

Harry turned and grinned at Cedric as he walked up towards him, "Hey, Cedric."

"Hey, Harry," Cedric smiled, he turned to Cho who was standing beside him. "Can I talk to Harry for a minute?"

Cho nodded and smiled at him, kissing his cheek and walking away. Harry stared after her. She was a totally different person with Cedric. Wow, he thought, I guess he really does bring out the best in her.

"So, what's up?" Harry asked.

"Listen, Harry, I wanted to thank you for telling me about those dragons. I would have failed the task otherwise."

Harry waved away his thanks, "It's not a big deal. I know you would have done the same thing for me,"

Cedric nodded, "Exactly. You know your egg makes that horrible squealing noise?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah."

"Well, try opening it under water. The clue will make sense then," Cedric paused, "Tell you what, use the Prefect's bathroom on the fifth floor behind the fourth door to the left of a statue of Boris the Bewildered. The password's pine fresh."

Harry smiled, "Thanks, mate!"

"Anytime, Harry. Good luck with the second task," Cedric smiled and waved as he left.

Harry watched Cedric leave and then he raced up the stairs and into his dormitory. He opened his trunk as quietly as he could, as Ron, Seamus, Dean and Neville were still fast asleep. He dug up his egg from the bottom of the truck. He then headed for the Prefect's bathroom. Checking to make sure there was no one else around, he whispered the password, grinning as the door opened.

He entered the bathroom and his eyes widened. The bathroom was much grander than the one he was used to. He turned on the taps, undressing quickly. He opened then egg and winced as it started to screech. He took a deep breath and put his head underwater, taking the egg with him. His eyes widened as he heard the song.

_Come seek us where our voices sound,_

_We cannot sing above the ground,_

_And while you're searching ponder this,_

_We've taken what you'll sorely miss,_

_An hour long you'll have to look,_

_To recover what we took,_

_But past an hour –the prospect's black,_

_Too late, it's gone, it won't come back._

_Dear All,_

_The Yule Ball was amazing! Mrs Weasley's right, I did go with Ginny and we had a blast (not in that way, Uncle Sirius –I know how your mind works). Ron was jealous of Hermione, though. She went with Krum. They had the biggest fight they've ever had. I wonder when Ron's going to admit that he likes her. I have a feeling it won't be soon._

_I'm glad you liked the presents. I thought you'd enjoy them. Fred and George are proud of those products. I can't wait till they start their store. Don't worry, I'll get you some more._

_Crouch is ill? That's weird, I saw him a few days ago. But he wasn't at the Yule Ball; Percy was filling in for him. What's up with the Bertha Jorkins thing by the way? Is she still missing?_

_I have looked at the clue and I got a riddle, so I tried to figure it out, and this is what I got._

Come seek us where our voices sound,

We cannot sing above the ground,

_I'm pretty sure that has something to do with Merpeople._

And while you're searching ponder this,

We've taken what you'll sorely miss,

_I'm not sure what they mean by something I'll miss, but I think it's my Firebolt and this doesn't give me a very good feeling._

An hour long you'll have to look,

To recover what we took,

_How am I going to survive underwater for an hour?_

But past an hour –the prospect's black,

Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.

_So if I don't get to it in time, that's it. I don't have it anymore._

_Cedric helped me with figuring out the clue. He's a great guy. I'll keep you posted with what I find out._

_Love,_

_Harry._

After the holidays, everything went back to normal. Ron was apparently treading on very thin ice around Hermione. Watching them was like watching the beginning of a storm, it was only a matter of time before one of them would burst with anger and frustration. Harry had told them about the clue he'd found and then the three of them began their research. Harry got weekly letters from his parents, but they came up with nothing. Harry was so terribly nervous all the time, and he kept on reminding himself that he had more than a month to figure all this out.

January came with icy, cold winds and brought a tenser atmosphere as Rita Skeeter had published her interview. The article, however, was chock full of lies. It was apparent that Skeeter hadn't been satisfied with the amount of information Hagrid had given her and had decided to dig for more. How she had found out about Hagrid being a half-giant, Harry didn't know, as they didn't know either.

Giants aren't particularly thought of well, in the Wizarding community as they are thought of as mean and brutal. Rita Skeeter had included information about Hagrid's mother in the article. Fridwulfa, was seemingly a giant who liked to terrorise and kill much more than the others. Needless to say, Hagrid was devastated. He had taken to hiding in his cabin. Professor Grubbly-Plank took over his lessons. Malfoy, was delighted by all of this and enjoyed taunting Harry, Ron and Hermione.

Annoyed at this and at Hagrid's irrational behaviour, Hermione, Ron and Harry paid a visit to Hagrid. They banged on the door, and after a lot of swearing on Ron's part, and a few well chosen words on Harry's and Hermione's, the door finally opened. To their surprise, it wasn't Hagrid who opened the door. It was Dumbledore, who had opened it with a twinkle of a laugh in his eyes as he looked at Hermione's raised fist with an amused smile. He let them in, and after much insisting, Dumbledore told Hagrid that he expected to see him at work the next day.

After two weeks of nothing, Harry became frustrated. He desperately wanted to figure out the clue, so he decided to take another look at the egg. It was midnight when he slipped out of the Gryffindor tower and headed to the Prefect's bathroom. He sat there for an hour, and as he still hadn't figured out how he was supposed to breathe underwater, he sighed and decided to leave. Halfway back to his dormitory, he saw on the Marauder's Map that Barty Crouch was in Snape's office. Harry wondered whether he should just ignore this, but his curious nature got the best of him and he started to make his way to the Potions room. On the way there, Mrs Norris brushed past him, making him jump and drop the egg. The egg started to squeal and Harry grimaced as he dropped the Map as well. Swearing under his breath, he picked up the egg and shut it. Just then, he heard voices from further down the corridor. Hurriedly, Harry put on the cloak, forgetting the Map and sinking back into the shadows. Snape and Filch came, a second later, along with Moody. Snape picked up the Map and he began to question everything. Harry could see Snape's brain whirring as he put two and two together. Moody (who's eye could see through invisibility cloaks) saved Harry and sent Snape and Filch on their way. Moody wanted to borrow the Map, and as he had just saved Harry from detention, Harry instantly agreed. He made sure to tell Moody about what he'd seen on the Map, though.

Harry told Ron and Hermione what had happened with Snape and Moody and Ron began to say that Snape had put Harry's name in the Goblet. Hermione disagreed with this and pointed out that every time they blamed Snape for something, they were usually wrong.

Harry's Animagus training was still going on, of course, and McGonagall was very pleased as he had now managed to change his two arms. Harry was proud of this, but he was more worried about the second task.

The night before the task, Hermione, Ron and Harry were in the library, all three in panic mode. This just worsened when Fred and George came, telling them that Hermione and Ron were to go to McGonagall's office. Harry paled. Were they in trouble for helping him? Sighing, he picked up as many books as he could and headed to the Common Room, determined to find a way to breathe underwater for an hour.

When he entered, he saw Neville and Ginny sitting on armchairs, waiting for him.

"Harry!" Ginny grinned, hugging him.

"Hey, Gin, Neville," Harry smiled, placing the books down on the little table.

"Neville has an idea to help you breathe underwater for an hour, Harry," Ginny said.

"What?" Harry breathed.

Neville grinned, "There's a plant called Gillyweed, it can help you breathe underwater."

"Where would I get that from?" Harry raised his eyebrows.

"That would be the tricky part," Neville sighed, "You'd only be able to find it in Snape's private stores."

Before Harry could reply, Ginny let out a squeal.

"Ask Dobby!" Ginny suggested.

"Dobby?" Harry asked, giving her a look that made Ginny wonder if he was questioning her sanity, "As in Dobby the house-elf?"

Ginny nodded, "He adores you, Harry, and even better, he respects you. I'm sure he'll get the Gillyweed for you."

Neville nodded. Harry grinned at him, "Thanks Nev!"

"Anytime, Harry," Neville smiled, "Goodnight now."

Harry waved as Neville went to their dormitory. Then he turned to Ginny, "Come with me to the kitchens, please?"

Ginny shrugged, "Sure. Let's go. Just get your Invisibility Cloak," she said, smiling as he took it out of his robe pocket.

Harry smiled sheepishly as he saw Ginny's amused expression, "Mum's orders. C'mon, let's go," he said as he threw the cloak over the two of them. They left the Common Room and headed for the kitchen, tickling the pear in the portrait to get in.

Once they were there, Harry took off the cloak and asked for Dobby. Ginny smiled as she saw him coming.

"Harry Potter sir!" Dobby positively beamed.

"Hey, Dobby, how are you?" Harry grinned.

"I is fine, just Winky is still depressed." Dobby's toothy grin fell a little, "Is there anything you is wanting?"

Harry knelt down to Dobby's level, "Yeah. I want to ask you for a favour. It's really important and it's for the second task."

Dobby nodded, "It will be an honour, sir!"

Harry then began to explain about Gillyweed and how it was in Snape's office.

Dobby nodded again, "Dobby will get it for you!"

Harry smiled, sighing in relief, "Thanks, Dobby."

Harry and Ginny returned to the Common Room, with an armful of Pumpkin Pasties.

"Where are Ron and Hermione?" Harry asked. They still weren't back from McGonagall's.

Ginny shrugged, "I don't know. I haven't seen them in ages." She smiled, "Well, I'm going to bed. I'm meeting up with Michael tomorrow so we can go to the lake together."

"Michael?" Harry asked, surprised.

Ginny blushed, "Uhh, yeah. He asked me out a few days after the Yule Ball,"

Harry wondered why he suddenly felt very tense, "Wow! Congratulations, Ginny," he said half-heartedly.

Ginny grinned, "Thank you! Don't tell Ron though," she smiled as she kissed his cheek and bid him a goodnight.

Harry leant back in the armchair, his eyes drooping. He fell asleep right there on the couch and it only felt as though it had been a few minutes when he was shaken awake by Dobby.

"Harry Potter sir! You is having to get up. The task is starting soon. Here is the Gillyweed," Dobby grinned.

Harry smiled and took it from him, "Thank you, Dobby."

Dobby nodded, "You must go and get your Wheezy."

"My...my what?" Harry asked puzzled.

"Your Wheezy," Dobby repeated.

"Ron?" Harry asked alarmed, "They have Ron?"

Dobby nodded again. Harry jumped up, alarmed, thanked Dobby once again and raced up the stairs to change. He changed quickly into his trunks and ran towards the lake. The stands were full of people and Harry could make out his family waiting anxiously.

Harry took a deep breath as he approached the lake. This is it, he thought. Bagman explained the rules of the task and then the whistle sounded. Harry gulped down the Gillyweed, choking slightly, then he jumped into the lake, amazingly, after a few minutes he didn't struggle for breath and that's when he realised he had gills. He sighed in relief before swimming to the bottom of the lake.

He passed many schools of fish as he swam towards the Merpeople's village. Grinning victoriously as he swam easily through the green water, he slowed as he realised he had no idea where he was going. Harry's eyes widened as he saw Myrtle swimming near him. She smiled at him and gave him a nod as she showed him the direction to the Merpeople. Harry smiled back in thanks.

Suddenly he heard a scream. Repressing a shudder, Harry swam faster and faster until he reached his destination. He groaned as he saw four waxy looking figures, each of them tied to the tail of a stone Merperson.

Ron, Hermione and Cho were floating next to a girl who could only be Fleur's sister. Concerned for the safety of all of them, Harry sighed as he thought about what to do. He grinned in relief as he saw Cedric swimming towards them. He had used the Bubble-Head Charm.

Untying Cho, Cedric sent Harry a worried glance and tapped his watch telling him to hurry up. Then he swam away. Harry didn't have to wait long for Krum. He came a few minutes after Cedric, and boy, did he look frightening. His partial Transfiguration meant that only his upper body had become a shark.

Harry watched in alarm as Krum tried to cut the rope holding Hermione with his jagged teeth. Picking up a rock, Harry shoved it at Krum, who nodded his thanks. A few seconds later, Hermione was gone.

With no sign of Fleur, Harry decided to take Ron and Fleur's sister. The Merpeople protested, but Harry took no notice as he fought them. He used the Disarming Charm and he was free. Harry began to celebrate mentally and then groaned as he felt the effects of the Gillyweed wearing off. Determined, Harry shook his head to clear the nervousness as he dragged Ron and Fleur's sister to the surface.

Lily dashed to her son's side as soon as he came out of the lake. Wrapping two towels around him, she pulled him in for a hug. Harry groaned as he found out that he had been ten minutes over the time limit. All of a sudden, arms encircled him as he found himself being hugged by his Dad, godfather and uncle.

Madam Pomfrey shooed them aside as she shoved a spoonful of potion down Harry's throat. Harry sighed in relief as he immediately felt better. Suddenly, he found himself being hugged by Hermione, who had matted hair and frenzied eyes. She congratulated him on figuring out the clue and he grinned as he told her about Neville and Dobby, whispering quietly.

The decision was made and the results were announced. Harry's eyes were almost as big as Dobby's when he heard that he had been awarded extra points for showing what Dumbledore liked to call "moral fibre", because of the concern he showed for the hostages. He was tied with Cedric for first place.

Fleur and her sister Gabrielle appeared and kissed both Harry and Ron swiftly on both of their cheeks, thanking them. Harry blushed and Ron just grinned goofily. Lily chuckled as she swept her son into her arms again.

"Why is it that you get into situations like these every year?" Lily asked shaking her head at her son, a wry smile on her face.

Harry shrugged as they all walked back to the Common Room to join the party, "I ask myself that every day."

**A/N: How was that then? Let me know if you liked it! Reviews get teasers...so please please review :) ****even if it's just a small one saying 'update soon.'**

**Love,**

**Ishani x**


	23. Chapter 23:Feeling Protective

**A/N: An earlier update this time :) So this one is a shorter chapter, just a little bit on Harry's jealous side :) Thank you for all the amazing reviews. I hope you like this one.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 23: Feeling Protective

After the second task, Ron's popularity increased, much to Harry's relief. Ron absolutely adored the spotlight and everyone kept asking him about how he had helped save Gabrielle. At first his story was the same as everyone else's, but a few days later he had come up with one that put his life in danger. Hermione rolled her eyes and told him to shut up, after asking him exactly how he got out of the situation considering he was frozen until he reached the surface. After this, Ron went back to the original, true story.

Hermione also received quite a lot of attention and was embarrassed about being the person Viktor Krum would miss most. Her cheeks were permanently stained red as people asked her about it all the time. She'd bit her bottom lip, shrug her shoulders and change the subject immediately. Ginny and Harry both found it amusing. Ron's ears just turned red when this was mentioned, and Harry was surprised he didn't say anything.

Fleur Delacour was extremely grateful towards both Harry and Ron and she went out of her way to show it. Harry and Ron were glad that she didn't mention the way Ron asked her to the Yule Ball. They found she was really nice and kind, and had a lot to tell them about her school and France.

Viktor Krum didn't really interact with the Hogwarts students as much as the rest of his classmates did. He just glared moodily at Harry most of the time, his expression turning almost murderous when Harry received a hug, or a kiss on the cheek from Hermione. Harry found it hilarious that Viktor Krum was jealous of him. Hermione didn't seem to notice. She'd also somehow found out about Harry telling Ron to back off after the Yule Ball and had cried in Harry's arms for about a half hour before telling him she loved him and she thought of him as a brother.

Cedric and Cho seemed to be very happy together, and Harry was glad for them.

Ginny and Michael were officially a couple. Ron, Fred and George, of course, had no idea. Ginny thought Michael was absolutely adorable and Harry and Hermione were just glad to see her happy.

Harry, however, had a little problem with Rita Skeeter, who was continually publishing lies about him in the paper. This time it was about Hermione leading on both Harry and Krum and choosing Harry because she felt sorry for him. Hermione had just pursed her lips when the Slytherins had shown them and grabbed both Ron and Harry's wrists, turning on her heel and dragging them out of the corridor along with her. Harry was surprised at how easy it was for her to ignore it. He knew he found it really annoying.

Harry had also seen something that made him curious and increasingly suspicious. The same day the article was published about Harry and Hermione, Karkaroff had stormed into their Potions class, and shoved his left forearm into Snape's face, looking more worried than Harry had ever seen him. Snape, however, looked livid, and told Karkaroff through clenched teeth that they would talk later. Harry, Ron and Hermione had informed Ginny immediately, and before bed that day, Harry used his mirror to tell his family.

Harry shook his head to clear his thoughts as he saw Michael Corner approaching him. A semi-devilish smirk appeared on Harry's face as he called him.

"Hey, Michael," Harry smiled, "I've been meaning to talk to you."

Michael nodded, "What about?"

"Ginny," Harry replied.

"Oh." Michael's eyes widened, "She's amazing."

Harry chuckled at Michael's expression, "Yeah, she is. I just wanted to warn you, mate, don't hurt her. First of all she's got six brothers, and then she has Hermione and me. It really wouldn't be in your best interest to hurt her. She's one of my best friends and you know...you hurt her, I'll hurt you."

Michael nodded again, "Yeah, I know. I've actually received a few of these threats over the past two days. First Colin told me that if I made Ginny shed even one tear, he'd use the internet against me to register me as a sex offender in the whole of the UK. Demelza Robbins told me that she's watching every move I make, and if I don't follow the rulebook she'd shove a high heel down my throat. Luna Lovegood, from my own house said that if I hurt Ginny she'll make the Nargles go after me. Hermione Granger told me that if I hurt her, she'd beat me with a shovel."

Harry laughed. "You know what the internet is?" Harry was surprised, most wizards didn't know what that was.

Michael nodded, "My Mum's a half-blood."

Harry grinned, "Ok. So I didn't realize Ginny's friends were so... err what's the word... imaginative. Anyway, you seem like a good guy, Michael, so I'm wishing you and Ginny the best of luck."

Michael smiled, "Thanks, mate. You know Ginny gave me an earful herself? Something about the Bat Bogey Hex?"

Harry raised his eyebrows, "Yeah watch out for that. Her hexes are deadly. Her six brothers can be macho men when they want to be, but she pulls that one out and they cower at her feet like mice!"

Michael laughed, "Thank you for the warning. Oh, and don't tell Ron, please? I think he's probably the most protective of her."

Harry nodded, "I won't, and you're right. Ron still sees Ginny as his little sister."

Michael grinned, "Well, I'll see ya around, Harry."

"Bye." Harry grinned.

Chuckling, Harry began to make his way back to the Common Room. He definitely did not want to get on to the wrong side of Demelza. A high heel down the throat? Yeesh!

* * *

March arrived and brought with it some sunshine and many showers of rain. Harry was beginning to wonder what was wrong with Mr Crouch.

The Daily Prophet reported that Mr Crouch still hadn't been to work. Harry had written home to ask about it and he'd learned many interesting things. The first one was that it had been Mr Crouch who had sent Sirius to Azkaban without a trial when he was the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement because he was sure that all the evidence was against Sirius, so he didn't bother to examine it. Harry was furious at this, but what he found out next shocked him further. Crouch had been a highly respected man. It had been everyone's belief that he would become the Minister for Magic. He detested the Dark Arts with passion, and prior to Voldemort's downfall, he'd risen quickly throughout the Ministry, obtaining a role of leadership. His low tolerance for the Dark Arts meant that he handed out the most brutal punishments without a second thought. Aurors had the power to kill instead of capture and were also allowed to use the Unforgivables. This just made Harry hate him all the more. However, Crouch's career was put to a halt when his own son was accused and found guilty for supporting Voldemort. Crouch put his own son on trial without a second thought, and when he was found guilty, Crouch sent him to Azkaban. Barty Crouch Junior died not a year later.

Another question that had been in Harry's mind for a very long time, was what Snape's business was in all of this. Of course, everyone had their suspicions. James, Sirius and Remus told Harry that Snape had always been very interested in the Dark Arts. Even the friends he had, they had all become Death Eaters, but no one knew anything about Snape. What Karkaroff had shown Snape only increased the suspicions they had. If this wasn't bad enough, there still wasn't any sign of Bertha Jorkins.

In Harry's head, everything seemed to add up, but it still seemed as if he was missing a very important detail. First Bertha Jorkins went missing, then Frank Bryce died. Then the Dark Mark is shot up into the sky after his wand went missing at the World Cup. After that, his own name gets put into the Goblet of Fire.

Moody's right, Harry thought as he made his way to dinner after one of his Animagus lessons, there's definitely something going on and he decided that he was going to keep his eyes wide open.

**A/N: I hope you liked that...even though it was short. Has anyone seen Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1? What were your thoughts? Personally, although missed out quite a bit, it was still alright :) Definitely better than the previous one. I loved the effects and everything. No more information in case there are people who want to see it, who haven't. **

**Now I found another story that is absolutely amazing! It's a crossover between Harry Potter and Twilight and deserves way more reviews than what it has right now. Don't be put off by the crossover because it really is a great story. It also has a sequel :) Check it out:**

**-The Secret Keeper by _A. E. Giggle: _When Bella is alerted to dangerous events unfolding at her old school, Hogwarts, she has no choice but to inform the Cullens of her true, magical identity. To put it simply ... she's a Witch. AU, OOC.**

**So...did you like the chapter? Let me know your thoughts and reviews get teasers so please review :) even if it's a little note saying...'update soon please.'**

**Love,**

**Ishani x**


	24. Chapter 24:The Third Task

**A/N: Hello! I hope you're all doing well. Well, we're at the third task. I just want to thank everyone for all the reviews and alerts. It means a lot and gives me a bucket load of inspiration. Anyway, enough of my chit chat, I'm going to let you get on with the story. Meet you at the bottom :)**

**Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me...except Arya and Iris, they're all mine :D **

Chapter 24: The Third Task

March flew by with no news about Crouch or Bertha Jorkins and Harry became nervous as he found out that he had to meet the rest of the Champions on the Quidditch Pitch the next day, to find out what that third task was.

He shrugged folding the note which McGonagall had given him at dinner and headed for the Common Room. His brow furrowed when he heard Hermione's giggle coming from a classroom. Ginny who was walking beside him noticed his expression.

"Harry?" Ginny asked, "What's wrong?"

Harry shook his head, pressing a finger to his lips, as he opened the door of the classroom. Ginny gasped softly as they saw Viktor Krum and Hermione kissing. They shut the door softly and began to make their way back to Gryffindor Tower.

"So I guess Hermione and Krum really are an item, huh?" Harry asked, rather uncomfortable with what he just had seen. After all, no one wants to see their best friend, who happens to be like their sister, making out with a guy.

Ginny giggled at Harry, "I'm guessing yes."

"Do you think Ron knows?" Harry asked.

Ginny shrugged, "I don't know. I don't think so. I'm sure he wouldn't say anything if he did. He got a nasty telling off from me, and I'm pretty sure Parvati gave him a lot to think about. Not to mention you and Hermione. So, even if he does know, it would be wise for him to keep his thoughts to himself."

Harry raised his eyebrows, "You're scary sometimes."

Ginny grinned as they entered the Common Room and took their seats on their favourite chairs, "Oh, I know."

Harry shook his head at her as they extracted their homework from their bags, wondering whether Ron was still at dinner, and knowing that he'd have to warn Krum about treating Hermione right. He couldn't help but grin at the thought.

* * *

Harry made his way down to the Quidditch Pitch with Cedric, Fleur and Krum. Krum kept shooting glares at Harry, who was having a hard time stopping himself from laughing.

Both Cedric and Harry got the shock of the millennium when they saw their Quidditch Pitch completely transformed. Hedges were growing out of the ground and the Quidditch posts had been taken down.

Ludo Bagman laughed at the alarmed look on their faces, "Don't worry, boys. You'll have your Quidditch Pitch back as soon as you've finished the Third Task. Now, can anyone tell me what we're making here?"

Krum cleared his throat before replying, "A maze."

Bagman beamed, "Correct! It is a maze we're making." Bagman went on to tell them what the maze would have in it and when the task would be. Their main objective was to get the Triwizard Cup situated in the middle. Harry grinned at Bagman and nodded his thanks as he was wished good luck.

Krum walked over to the edge of the Forbidden Forest and Harry sighed as he followed him.

"Err, Krum? Can we talk for a moment please?" Harry asked awkwardly.

"Vot is going on vith you and Herm-o-ninny?" Krum asked, getting straight to business.

Harry bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing, "Nothing. We've never liked each other that way. We're best friends and she's like my sister. So you know, you break her heart, I'll break your face."

Krum's face broke out into a wide grin, "I understand. I have a sister at home."

Harry grinned back as they began to walk into the Forest. "So are you nervous about the Third Task?"

Krum shrugged, "Yeah, a little. I have been meaning to tell you that you fly very vell. Ve vere all impressed in Durmstrang."

Harry's eyes widened, "Wow. Thanks. I've been playing Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team since my first year, and my Dad and uncles are really big Quidditch fanatics, so I guess I'm used to flying a lot."

Krum shook his head, "No, you're amazing. You should consider playing professionally after you finish school."

Harry nodded, "Thanks!" Then he paused and lit his wand when he heard a scuffle.

Krum looked around, "Vot vas that?"

Harry watched in alarm as Mr Crouch came out. His clothes were unruly, dirty and torn. His face looked scared and his hair was unkempt. He was facing a tree, talking to it as if it was Percy Weasley.

"Isn't that a person from your Ministry?" Krum asked.

Harry nodded, "Yeah. I have no clue what he's doing here. He's supposed to be sick. Err.. Mr Crouch sir? Mr Crouch, I'm Harry Potter."

That made Mr Crouch silent. He turned to Harry and suddenly fell to his knees, starting to speak in a tense, panicked voice, telling Harry that he'd done a terrible thing and that he was paying for it. He told Harry that he needed to tell Dumbledore before it was too late and that the boy named Harry Potter was in big trouble. Harry's mouth went dry. He nodded quickly and turned back to Krum.

"Stay here and keep your wand out. I'm going to go and get Dumbledore," Harry told him.

Krum looked scared, "Hurry."

Harry nodded and ran to the castle.

When he returned with Dumbledore after a good half hour thanks to Snape who had delayed him quite a bit, Viktor and Crouch had disappeared. Dumbledore and Harry both began to search for them, and after a few minutes they found Viktor, who had been Stunned. Mr Crouch, however, was nowhere to be found. Viktor told them that a man had appeared and had Stunned him from behind.

Moody appeared a minute later.

Harry returned to the Common Room with a feeling of unease. He immediately sought out Hermione, Ginny and Ron and proceeded to tell them what had happened. Hermione, who looked considerably paler, told him to write a letter home, telling his family what had happened.

After Harry had written the letter, the four of them began to discuss on what they thought had happened. Ron's thoughts consisted mainly of Viktor doing something to Crouch and then Stunning himself. He shut up when both Hermione and Ginny shot him a glare.

Harry then decided that he needed to focus on learning as many hexes and jinxes as he could, and as he had no finals to revise for, he put all of his energy into mastering spells he thought he'd need. Ginny, Hermione, Ron and Neville were all extremely helpful, even though it was plain Hermione was also "researching" something else.

After the article about her in _Witch Weekly, _Hermione had subscribed to the _Daily Prophet_ and _Witch Weekly. _She said that she wanted to find things, true or not, first hand, and that she could ignore what Rita Skeeter wrote about her, but what she was most interested in was how Rita Skeeter managed to snoop without getting noticed.

Harry shrugged as he climbed into bed. Hermione definitely had a lot of patience.

* * *

A week after the sighting of Mr Crouch, Harry was disappointed to hear that there was no news from or about him. He seemed to have literally vanished off the face of the Earth.

Harry sighed as he saw Hermione reading the _Daily Prophet. _"Anything in there?"

Hermione took a sip of orange juice and watched with a disgusted expression as Ron wolfed down his breakfast. "No. Nothing at all."

Ron swallowed the chunk of food in his mouth and pointed at Hedwig who swooped in, "Harry, I think your parents have written back."

Harry grinned at Hedwig as he untied the letter from her leg. "Thanks, girl."

Hedwig gave a soft hoot and flew out of the Hall. Harry smiled as he read the letter:

**Dear Harry,**

**Be careful, Sport, if Mr Crouch went missing within Hogwarts grounds, then something is definitely wrong. Don't worry your head about him. Fudge has got the Auror department looking out for any signs of him and I know Dumbledore and Moody are keeping an eye out as well.**

**We all want you to focus on the Third Task. We've sent a list of spells that you might find useful. Practise them.**

**Good luck, kiddo, and be safe.**

**Love,**

**Dad, Mum, Grandma, Remus, Sirius, Arya and Iris.**

* * *

Harry practised the spells he'd been given. He found that all of them would be useful in the maze and made a mental note to give every single member of his family a huge hug when he next saw them.

Hermione, Ron and Ginny helped Harry every night after they'd had dinner and finished their homework. Harry only didn't practise on the nights he had his Animagus lessons. He still hadn't told his friends in all the chaos that had been going on.

His Animagus lessons had been progressing amazingly well. Professor McGonagall was very impressed. He'd managed to transform his head and both his arms. He was working on transforming his legs, and according to McGonagall, at the rate he was going, he'd master it in no time. She told him that they'd stop the lessons when the Third Task was a month away as she wanted him to direct all of his attention towards preparing for it.

The thing that worried Harry the most, though, were the vivid dreams he was having about Wormtail, Voldemort and Nagini. In his dream, Voldemort was having a conversation with Wormtail, warning him that if he wasn't careful, he'd be fed to Nagini. Then, all of a sudden Voldemort used the Cruciatus Curse on Wormtail and Harry woke up, he was clutching his scar.

Deciding there was nothing else to do, Harry went to Dumbledore's office. When he got there, it turned out that Dumbledore was having a meeting with Fudge and Moody. They left the office to inspect the grounds once again and Harry was told to wait. That was when he saw the Pensive and he decided to take a quick peek.

Harry was cast into the memory and he found himself sitting next to a much younger Dumbledore. The courtroom Harry was in was filling up quickly and Harry gasped as he saw Karkaroff in a cage. Harry learnt that Karkaroff had been a Death Eater, but after Voldemort's downfall, he'd been captured and he decided to give the names of the other followers in return for freedom. Harry's eyes widened as he heard the names: Antonin Dolohov, Evan Rosier, Travers, Mulciber, Augustus Rookwood and... Severus Snape. Harry watched as Dumbledore stood up and assured everyone that although Snape had been a Death Eater, he wasn't part of the group anymore, and that he would vouch for the younger man personally. Then Karkaroff accused none other than Barty Crouch Jr. There was another memory Harry was pulled into, not a second later. In this one, Ludo Bagman was accused of being a Death Eater. He swore that he was innocent and he was dismissed. The final memory was the one that shocked Harry the most. This one was when Barty Crouch Junior was brought in along with the Lestranges for torturing the Longbottoms to insanity. They all received life sentences. Then, Dumbledore pulled Harry out of the Pensive.

Harry began to apologise, but Dumbledore waved the apology away. Harry then began to narrate his dream to Dumbledore. He was worried that it might be real, because it definitely felt like it was real. Dumbledore said that it was probable that it happened.

Harry got up to leave. "Harry, don't tell anyone about what you saw about Neville's parents," Dumbledore said.

Harry shook his head, "I've known for ages, sir. My mum and dad go to visit Neville's parents and grandmother quite a lot. I won't tell anyone."

Dumbledore smiled, "Of course. Practise hard for the third task. And Harry?"

Harry looked up, "Yes, sir?"

"Good luck."

* * *

The day of the third task arrived quicker than anyone had expected. Harry hurried down to breakfast. He helped himself to some toast as McGonagall approached with a grim smile.

"Harry, your parents are waiting for you in the back room," the professor told him, "And good luck for the third task."

Harry smiled and nodded, "Thanks, Professor." He stuffed the rest of the toast and bacon in his mouth, chewing quickly and rushed out of the Great Hall.

When he arrived in the little room, he was surprised to see that not only were his family there, but Mrs Weasley and Bill too. He grinned at them and winced as his mum pulled him in for a tight hug.

"Ouch. _Ouch!_" Harry groaned. "Mum, you're strangling me."

Lily smiled sheepishly as she let go, "Sorry, honey. I just want all this to be over."

Harry grinned at her, "You and me both."

James mock-pouted, "Well it's easy to see who the favourite parent is."

Harry rolled his eyes and went over to hug his Dad and everyone else. Then he turned to Mrs Weasley and Bill, whilst holding Arya. Iris was asleep on Sirius's shoulder.

"I didn't know you two were coming." Harry smiled as he was pulled into another hug by Mrs Weasley.

"Oh, don't be silly, dear," Mrs Weasley tutted, "We wouldn't miss it for the world."

Bill nodded, "Besides, Charlie already got to see you in one of the tasks, it's only fair I do too. Speaking of that, Charlie said you were amazing, and when it comes to flying, it takes a lot to impress him."

Harry grinned, "Thanks!"

Fleur stepped next to him, "'Ello 'Arry. Iz zis your family?"

Harry smiled at her, "Yeah. This is Mum, Dad, Grandma, my sisters Arya and Iris," Harry paused, grinning as Fleur awwed, "My uncles, Sirius and Remus, Mrs Weasley and Bill."

"It iz a pleasure to meet all of you." Fleur smiled, her silvery blonde hair glinting as the sunlight hit it. She blushed as she saw Bill's intense gaze on her. "Bye, 'Arry, good luck."

Harry gave them a tour of the school and James, Sirius and Remus reminisced about where they'd played pranks, where they'd kissed girls (that was all Sirius) and where they'd got in trouble. Mrs Weasley and Bill stayed with Dorea, Arya and Iris so Harry took the opportunity to tell his parents and his uncles about the dream he was having.

Sirius growled, "I can't believe that rat is still alive. If I see him again I'm going to—" Sirius got cut off when Lily shot him a glare and cuffed him across the head.

"You will not do a thing if you see that fu-fudgeball. You don't need to go to Azkaban again, this time for a crime that you did commit."

Remus nodded, "I agree with Lily."

James squirmed as Lily shot him a pointed look, "Err... yeah me too."

Harry rolled his eyes, "Real convincing, Dad."

James turned to Lily. "You know, he gets his attitude from you?"

Harry just shook his head at his father's childishness, grinning as Sirius mouthed, 'get used to it.'

* * *

The day passed quickly and Harry shivered as he stepped onto the Quidditch Pitch. The sky was darkening and Harry had a feeling that something was going to go wrong. He shook it off, not wanting to make himself feel any worse. The Champions were told that if they needed any help, Professors Moody, McGonagall and Flitwick would be patrolling the edges of the maze, and if anyone was in trouble, they were to send red sparks up into the air for help. They had to get the Triwizard Cup, and the first one to get it would win. Harry and Cedric, who were tied in first place, were to go first, then Krum, and Fleur third. The whistle blew and Harry took a deep, calming breath as he stepped into the maze.

Initially he was nervous, but as he got going he found it wasn't so bad. He first came across Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts. Then a Boggart Dementor and some strange golden mist. He saw Krum trying to curse Cedric, but his eyes were unfocused, so Harry knew he was under the Imperius Curse. He stunned Krum, and after a quick conversation with Cedric, they both went on their way.

Harry also crossed a sphinx, with an interesting riddle. Harry was truly surprised but he solved the enigma and then saw it: The Triwizard Cup.

He began to make his way towards it, when he noticed Cedric, who was closer to the Cup. All of a sudden vines caught Cedric's leg and they began to pull him underneath.

"Harry! Help!" Cedric yelled.

For a moment, Harry contemplated just leaving him there. Then shaking the thoughts out of his head, Harry ran to help him. When Cedric was free, they both walked to the Cup. Harry suggested they take it together as it would be a Hogwarts victory anyway.

Their hands grabbed the Cup together on the count of three and then something no one expected happened. They both felt a tug at their navel, and suddenly they were spinning, the maze fading away into the distance.

They landed in a graveyard and Harry's eyes were wide. Cedric looked petrified.

"Did you know that the Cup was a Portkey?"

Harry shook his head, trying to soothe the uncomfortable feeling of unease in his stomach, "I had no idea."

"You think it's a part of the task?"

"No. I've been here before, in—" Harry trailed off as he saw a figure in the distance.

The figure came closer and closer and Harry's mouth and fists clenched as he saw Peter Pettigrew grinning menacingly, holding a creature that looked vile. Harry's thoughts went back to the dreams

he'd been having and Voldemort's plan to come back.

He heard a voice saying "kill the spare". There was a flash of green light and Cedric dropped to the floor next to him. Harry fell on his knees, and clenched his mouth again as he saw the light fade from Cedric's eyes. He gulped. This wasn't going to end well.

**A/N: Yes...a cliffy :) *evil laugh* All the events that follow Cedric's death just fit better in Chapter 25, which is one heck of a long chapter (the longest I've written so far anyway). So what are your thoughts on this chapter? Reviews get teasers, so don't forget to...even if it's just a little one saying 'update soon.'**

**Love,**

**Ishani x**


	25. Chapter 25:Lord Voldemort's Return

**A/N: Hello! How is everyone? Excited for Christmas? :) You can take this chapter as your early present bwahaha :D Alright, so...Sorry for the confusion about the chapter being uploaded, there was a little confusion, but here you go, it's right now. :) Once again a huge thank you for everyone who reviewed, alerted and faved. I have a few more notices at the bottom, but for now, I'll just let you read.**

**Disclaimer:Nothing belongs to me.**

_Recap:_

_He heard a voice saying "kill the spare." There was a flash of green light and Cedric dropped to the floor next to him. Harry dropped to his knees, and clenched his mouth again as he saw the light fade from Cedric's eyes. He gulped. This wasn't going to end well._

Chapter 25: Lord Voldemort's Return_  
_

The thud from Cedric's fall still rang in Harry's ears. He couldn't believe this was happening. They'd picked up the Triwizard Cup; it wasn't supposed to be a trap. They'd won eternal glory. Eyes narrowed, he looked down at the thing that was wrapped in the bundle of cloth, and when he did, he felt a searing pain that stung his forehead like it had when he'd had the nightmare. He gasped as he realised what was in that bundle and he shuddered, hoping he'd make it of this alive.

Arms gripped Harry's forearms, but the burning pain stopped him from any sort of self defence. Peter Pettigrew dragged Harry across the ground, and slammed his back into the tombstone of the Dark Lord's father, Tom Riddle Sr. Harry found himself being bound to the tombstone by a thick rope. He knew that he wouldn't be able to escape, but he found that his weariness ebbed away as he got angrier.

Unable to help himself, he shouted at Wormtail, "What is your problem? Haven't you stopped attempting to ruin my life?" he asked dryly.

Wormtail ignored him and brought out a large cauldron. Harry's forehead was still throbbing, but his anger was now fuelling his thoughts. He didn't understand how it was possible for Pettigrew to have put his family's life in danger once, and although he'd had many a chance to stop, he still hadn't. Harry shook the thoughts out of his head as he tried to figure out what was going on. He watched as Wormtail lit a fire and added water to the cauldron. He realised that it was so big that it could fit a full grown man. As the water began to bubble, Wormtail turned to the thing in the cloth bundle.

"Master, it's ready," Wormtail wheezed.

The cold voice replied, "Do it now."

Wormtail picked the thing up and Harry shuddered. It was without a doubt the most revolting thing he had ever seen. It was as small as a baby, but hairless and its skin was a disgusting sickly colour, it's eyes were red. It's face looked snakelike. Wormtail dropped the creature in the cauldron and Harry shut his eyes hoping to Merlin that the thing drowned.

When Wormtail pointed his wand near Harry, he began to tremble, his wand hand shaking as he said in his hoarse voice, "Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will r-renew your son." The ground beneath Tom Riddle Sr's tombstone trembled and a bone flew out into the cauldron, and the water began to turn a purple-blue.

Harry's eyes widened in horror as he saw what Wormtail was doing next.

"F-flesh of the servant, w-willingly given, you will revive your m-master," Wormtail whimpered as he cut off his hand. It fell into the cauldron with a plop and Harry shuddered as the water turned a bright crimson.

Suddenly, Wormtail appeared in front of Harry with a menacing glare and a dagger. Harry winced as Wormtail dug the dagger into his skin and made a little slit. Taking Harry's blood and putting it into a small flask. Wormtail walked back to the cauldron, "Blood of the e-enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe." He poured the blood into the cauldron and the potion turned a hot, dazzling white.

Wormtail backed away into the shadows trembling, clutching his arm, as the blood dripped onto the ground. Harry watch the potion boil and he knew that he was in trouble and wondered once again how on earth he'd make it out of here alive. He thought of Cedric and how unfair this was on him and his family, and he made up his mind. Win or lose, he wasn't going down without a fight.

The potion began to mist and Harry felt goose bumps appear on his neck and arms. Through the fog, Harry saw him. His bones were practically visible, his skin a pale white, his eyes a dark, blinding red, creating a scary contrast. His mouth was a thin pencil line and his nose was made up of two slits.

Wormtail rushed forward with a robe and clothed his master and handed him his wand. Harry gulped, knowing now for sure that this wasn't a nightmare. It wasn't his imagination. It was real.

Lord Voldemort had returned.

Voldemort turned to smile at Harry. It wasn't warm, it certainly wasn't friendly. It was challenging and more intimidating than anything else. The Dark Lord turned away to his servant.

"Your arm please, Wormtail," Voldemort ordered, in a strangely low voice.

Wormtail's eyes lit up, "Oh, M-master. T-thank you."

Voldemort laughed as he saw Wormtail hold out his stubbed arm. "The other one, Wormtail."

Wormtail's smile fell as he held out his left arm. Harry watched with fright as Voldemort pushed the robe sleeve up higher, so he could see the symbol. Placing a long finger on it, Voldemort looked up to the sky and grinned evilly as Harry's forehead seared with pain.

"How many of them will return? They will have all noticed the Mark, oh yes. But how many of them will be brave enough to face me? We shall see," Voldemort muttered. He removed his finger from the Mark as soon as he heard Wormtail's howl. Voldemort's evil smile was back –the Mark had turned black.

Voldemort began to pace up and down the graveyard, ignoring Wormtail's continuous whimpers. He turned to Harry, "You stand over the remains of my father. He was both a Muggle and an old fool. Not much different to your late mother, Potter. But his death has finally been of use to me." Voldemort pointed to a ruining house up on the hill. "My father and my grandparents used to live in that house over there. My mother, a witch, lived in the village and she fell in love with him. My father abandoned her when she told him what she was. He didn't like magic."

A cruel smile reappeared on Voldemort's face, twisting his features, "My mother died giving birth to me and I was left in an orphanage. My father ran back to his family. Tom Riddle, I vowed to find him, to avenge my mother's death and I did. Now I don't answer to his name. I have my own." Voldemort paused, "Just listen to me, reliving my family history. It is unneeded, unimportant even. But look, Potter, do you see how my _true _family returns?"

As if on cue, people clothed in black robes and face masks appeared. Voldemort turned his back on Harry, facing the Death Eaters.

An eerie silence filled the graveyard and then one of the Death Eaters sank to his knees and crawled forward, kissing the hem of Voldemort's robes. One by one, the rest of them did the same thing. They then formed a circle around Voldemort and the tombstone on which Harry had been tied.

"Welcome, Death Eaters, or should I say welcome back," Voldemort began; "It has been thirteen years since we've seen each other. And thirteen years later, we remain united, faithful to the Dark Mark. Or are we?"

A shudder ran through the circle. Voldemort continued to explain how he had been betrayed by so many of them because they had not helped him, they had not tried to find him and they believed him dead. The Death Eaters started to beg for forgiveness. Some of them were tortured by the Cruciatus Curse. Then Voldemort turned to Wormtail.

"You've been helpful for the past few months and Lord Voldemort always rewards his helpers." Wormtail's eyes widened as his stubbed arm was replaced with a metallic replica.

"Oh _thank you! _Thank you, Master!" Wormtail gasped.

Voldemort continued to walk around their circle and paused, "Lucius. In all honesty, I was surprised to find that even _you _didn't try to find me. I thought you considered yourself faithful?"

Harry felt his jaw tighten as he heard the silky, sly voice of Lucius Malfoy, "I assure you, My Lord, if I had even a snippet of news about your whereabouts, I would have started to search for you immediately, I-"

"And yet you _ran _when another faithful Death Eater sent the Dark Mark into the sky last summer?" Voldemort interrupted. Malfoy's excuses stopped abruptly. Voldemort's lazy grin was back, "Do not attempt to fool me, Lucius, you know better than that. However, I expect better service from you in the future."

"Yes, My Lord," Lucius said softly.

Voldemort moved on to the empty space that separated Malfoy and the next man. "The Lestranges should stand here. They went to Azkaban rather than renounce me, and they will be rewarded when they return."

Harry watched as Voldemort confronted each of his followers. Then he reached the largest gap and sneered, "Six Death Eaters should stand here today, three who are dead, one who has left...who will be killed, of course, and one who is too cowardly to return...who will pay. The last one is someone who has re-entered my service, who also happens to be my most faithful servant."

This caught the Death Eaters' attention.

"He was at Hogwarts and it's thanks to him that Mr Harry Potter arrived here tonight," Voldemort continued.

Lucius Malfoy stepped forward, "Master, how is it that you made this possible?"

Voldemort laughed, "Well, it's quite a story and it starts and finished with our young friend here."

His red eyes locked with Harry's green ones, "You all know the name the boy was given when I disappeared: _The Boy Who Lived. _When I lost my powers that night and his mother died to save him, I lost my ability to touch him." Voldemort walked forward and lifted his finger, moving it close to Harry's cheek, "It's old magic, and I admit, I should have foreseen her using it, but I overlooked it... a mistake I shouldn't have made. But that doesn't matter, because I can touch him now." Voldemort's finger lingered over Harry's forehead for a few seconds before it pressed directly against Harry's scar. The pain was hot, blinding and so painful that Harry felt like he was going to combust.

Voldemort chuckled softly, a chilling laugh that made goose bumps appear on Harry's neck again. "It was a miscalculation; one that almost cost me my life. One that almost lost everything that I had worked so hard for. My curse was deflected by the Mudblood's sacrifice and it rebounded upon myself. It was torture, pain beyond pain, beyond anything I'd ever experienced before in my quests to defeat death. Possibly worse than any of the pain that we have inflicted... But I was still alive, less than a ghost or a spirit, like a shadow." Voldemort's eyes travelled around the circle and a shudder followed through.

"I remember forcing myself to exist, to try to live. I was in hope that one of my faithful Death Eaters would try to find me. I know now that I waited in vain." Voldemort paused, "Fortunately I did have one power. I could possess others. But I couldn't go where there were too many mortals, for I knew the Aurors were still searching for me. At times, I possessed animals, mostly snakes, being my preferred choice, but that wasn't as helpful because the animals are unable to perform magic, and my possession shortened their lives. None of them were able to live for long...

"Then, after years of waiting, I finally got my chance. Four years ago, a wizard, who was both young and gullible, crossed my path, and my return to power seemed assured. He gave me the chance I had dreamed of, for he was a teacher at Dumbledore's school. He was easy to... persuade. He brought me back to this country, and soon afterwards I had taken possession of his body in order to supervise him as he carried out my task. But my plan failed... I was unable to acquire the Philosopher's Stone. I had been defeated once again by Harry Potter."

The silence was uncomfortable. The Death Eaters stood unmoving, waiting for more, and it wasn't long before the Dark Lord continued his story, "My servant died after I left his body...and I was left weak, and I returned to my hiding place. It was, perhaps, the hardest time I've ever been through for I feared that I might never return to power... you see I had lost all faith in my Death Eaters..."

One or two Death Eaters fidgeted in their places, awkwardly.

Voldemort's smile widened, "And then, not even a year ago, when I had almost lost hope... a servant returned. Wormtail came back after faking his own death to escape justice. He was driven out of hiding by the ones he thought were his friends, the ones he'd betrayed and then he decided to return to me... his Master. He found me with the help of his filthy little vermin friends, who told him that they avoided a deep forest in Albania where small animals met their deaths after being possessed by some sort of evil spirit..."

"His journey, however, was not easy. One night, on the edge of the forest where I resided, he stopped for some food at an inn where he met none other than an employee of the Ministry, Bertha Jorkins. Now, I thought that this might be the end of Wormtail and my plans to return, but Wormtail displayed something that I never thought he had... he convinced Bertha to join him on a midnight stroll. He overpowered her and then... he bought her to me. Then Bertha Jorkins became a source of information, for although she wasn't the brightest, she definitely had enough information, and with a little bit of persuasion, she told me everything I needed to know."

"She told me that the Triwizard Tournament would be held at Hogwarts this year. She told me that there was a faithful Death Eater who would be too happy to help me, if only I could contact him... the means I used to break her Memory Charm were powerful, and when I had obtained all the information I could, her mind and body were both damaged. She had served her purpose and she couldn't be of any more help. I disposed of her."

Voldemort's red eyes glinted with malice as he continued his tale, "Wormtail was of no use when it came to possession, for he was believed dead. But he was able to follow my instructions regardless of his lack of wit, and this is how I was able to return to a temporary, weak body whilst waiting for the ingredients of my true rebirth. A few spells of my own invention, a little help from Nagini of course, a potion brewed from unicorn blood, the snake venom from Nagini, I returned to my human form and this allowed me to travel."

"I knew that there was no chance of getting the Philosopher's Stone because Dumbledore had it destroyed. So I decided to settle for mortal life before working towards becoming immortal. I decreased my standards... so now I have settled for my old body and my old strengths.

"I knew how to achieve this too. It is again old magic... but a darker form. The potion that revived me tonight needed three ingredients. One we already had, did we not, Wormtail?" Voldemort chuckled, "Flesh given by a servant..."

"My father's bone meant that we'd obviously have to come here. But the blood of a foe, Wormtail was insistent that I could use any wizard who hated me, but I knew whom I had to use. I had to use the one who made me fall. I needed Harry Potter's blood, the blood that had robbed me of my power thirteen years ago. Now, the lingering protection his mother gave him, also resides in me..."

The Death Eaters were staring at Voldemort; a few of them were shifting their weight, as though tired of standing, but none of them dared to sit down.

Voldemort continued, "But the question was how to get Harry Potter, for he is protected in such a way, that I don't even think he knows. Dumbledore invoked powerful magic the night Harry Potter destroyed me. As long as he is with someone who loves him, he is safe. Not even I, the greatest wizard of all time, could touch him. The Quidditch World Cup did give me an opportunity to try to harm him, but it would have been impossible. What with all the Aurors and Ministry wizards running around the place. Then the boy would return to Hogwarts, under the protection of that old fool. So how to get him?

"Of course, by using the information that Bertha Jorkins provided. Use my one faithful Death Eater, by stationing him at Hogwarts, so that he could make sure that Harry Potter's name was called out of the Goblet of Fire, so that he could help and supervise Harry Potter whenever necessary. To ensure that Harry Potter won the Triwizard Tournament by touching the Triwizard Cup, which my Death Eater would have turned into a Portkey so that Harry Potter would be transported here. This would bring him far away from Dumbledore's warm, secure hands of protection. Away from sneaky, tattle-tales from the Ministry of Magic and all those wizards who believe him to be a hero. And here he is, my friends, the boy you all believed had been my downfall..."

Voldemort turned to Harry, his cold sneer back on his face. His wand pointed at Harry, who had only just begun to digest the story that Voldemort had told. Voldemort inched closer to Harry and then, _"Crucio"_

Harry shuddered as the pain hit him. His mind went blank and he was on fire. His eyes shut and he writhed as the pain intensified. His scar started to blaze, and the white hot agony was back. He wanted it to stop... he'd had enough... he wanted the end... he wanted to die.

And then it stopped. He held on feebly to the rope, almost collapsing. He looked into Voldemort's red eyes, the laughter of the Death Eaters filling the graveyard.

Then Voldemort started to speak and the Death Eaters fell silent, "It was so foolish, of me, of anyone to believe that this boy was stronger than me. This is a mistake, for all the escapes Harry has made were out of luck, my friends. But it ends here, it ends tonight. He'll be allowed to fight and you will see who is stronger." He smiled at the snake, which was slithering around near his feet, "You won't be waiting long for your dinner now, my sweet."

Voldemort looked up and turned his piercing red eyes on Wormtail, "Now, Wormtail, untie him and give him back his wand."

Wormtail untied him and Harry glared at him. They were all going to pay one day. Snatching the wand out of Wormtail's outstretched hand, he limped slowly into the circle, his injured leg stinging as he walked.

"I expect you've been taught how to duel, Harry Potter?" Voldemort questioned.

Harry cast his mind back to his Second Year and the Duelling Club that they'd been attending and how he had learnt _Expelliarmus. _He wondered if it would be of any use now. He shrugged mentally, it was worth a try.

"First, we bow to each other," Voldemort said as though he was explaining something simple to a small child. Harry didn't and Voldemort sniggered, "Come on now, Harry, where are your manners?"

Voldemort pointed his wand at Harry, "I said _bow_!"

Harry, unable to stop himself, bowed and the Death Eaters laughed again.

As Voldemort announced that it was time to duel, Harry was hit again with the Cruciatus Curse. He was better prepared for it this time and it didn't hurt as much as before, but it still caused him to feel as though his entire body was burning up. Then it stopped.

"A little break now, Harry. That didn't hurt, did it? Do you want me to do it again?"

Harry felt tired. He was sick of Voldemort's games. He just wanted it to end. Then he found himself under the Imperius Curse again. He remembered the lesson with Moody, where he had been able to throw off the curse, and with new found determination, he began to fight it. The voice was compelling him to say no, but Harry was adamant. Guess being stubborn does help sometimes, he thought and then he belted out, "I WON'T!"

Instead of being angry as he expected, Voldemort's lipless mouth curled into an amused smirk, "You won't? You won't say no? There's the lack of manners again. Dumbledore would be so ashamed. Well, then I guess you'll just have to settle for a little more pain."

He raised his wand, and Harry, thanking the difficult training Wood had put him through when he was Quidditch Captain, dived behind a tombstone, dodging the curse.

Voldemort chuckled and the Death Eaters copied, "Come out now Harry. We're not playing Hide and Seek. Does this mean that you are already tired of our duel? Because, if you prefer, I can just end it now. Come out, come out, Harry. I'll make it quick... it might even be painless... I wouldn't know, you see... I have never died myself."

Harry sighed as he heard Voldemort's taunts. He wasn't going to die like this. He was going to die fighting, if at all. He was going to fight for Cedric; for his parents, who'd protected him, he was going to fight for all the people whom these people had hurt. Harry stepped cautiously around the tombstone and gripped his wand tighter than ever. _"Expelliarmus!" _But Voldemort was ready, _"Avada Kedavra."_

A jet of red light came out from Harry's wand at the same time as a jet of green light came out from Voldemort's and they connected in the middle. Harry's wand was vibrating and now a beam of light, a bright reddish gold, had begun to form. Harry had no idea what was going on and then he saw that Voldemort's hand too was vibrating from his wand.

Then they were both raised a few feet in the air. They glided away from the tombstone and they were bought to a place clear of any graves, the Death Eaters following them, asking for instructions, helpless.

The whiskery golden thread began to shoot up into the air and began to form a dome-shaped cage around Harry and Voldemort. The Death Eaters were at a loss of what to do.

"DO NOTHING!" Voldemort shrieked.

The golden strands of light began to edge closer to Voldemort's wand and Harry started to lose control of his wand, he clutched on tighter. That's when he heard it. It was soft, soothing and sweet. It filled his body with warmth and comfort but most importantly it gave him strength. The phoenix song was familiar although, Harry had only heard it once. It spoke words in his ear. _Keep fighting Harry. Don't let go. You can do this. _Dumbledore's voice echoed in Harry's head and Harry found himself nodding internally.

The golden beam of light entered Voldemort's wand and Harry gasped as a ghostly form of Cedric appeared.

"You can do this, Harry. We're all with you. Keep holding on."

Harry smiled and nodded, his eyes widening as Frank Bryce came out of the wand. "Well, he was talkin' right. He is a wizard. He killed me, he did. You hang in there sonny boy. Show him what you're made of."

Bertha Jorkins came out and whispered more words of encouragement in Harry's ear and then finally, his Mum came out. This confused Harry because she was alive; shaking the thoughts out of his head, he turned to her.

"Harry, sweetheart, we're all so proud of you. You've done so well. Now, when the connection breaks, you have to run and grab the Portkey. We can linger, but only for a while. There is still so much James and I have to tell you and hopefully, you'll understand it. Good luck, darling. We love you."

Harry nodded at her and his eyes shifted to Cedric, "Take my body back to my parents, please, Harry."

The ghostly shadows drifted to Voldemort and Harry dashed to Cedric, placing his arm around his dead friend, Harry grabbed the Triwizard Cup, and he felt himself leaving, slightly worried as he could hear Voldemort's screeching.

"Stun him. STUN him!" Voldemort said desperately. "Don't kill him. He's mine! He's MINE!"

Voldemort's voice became muffled as Harry landed with a loud _thump_ near the stands, where the audience was waiting with bathed breath.

Body aching, Harry was unable to stop the tears that flowed freely from his eyes.

"Harry? _Harry!_" Dumbledore's alarmed voice rang.

Harry whimpered as the stabbing pains began in his leg, "He's back, Sir. Wormtail made a potion and he's back."

Dumbledore's eyes lost their twinkle and filled with worry, "Harry?"

"Voldemort's back," Harry said. "He k-killed Cedric."

The crowd in the stands began to whisper and Moody clunked over to where Harry was laying. "Easy there, Potter. Let's get you back to my office, where we can get you cleaned up."

Dumbledore shook his head, "Stay here, Harry. I'll be back in just a minute. James and Lily are making their way through the crowd now."

But Moody was pulling Harry up. "Come on."

"But Dumbledore said stay!" Harry protested.

Moody ignored him and continued to pull Harry along, and Harry, too weak to argue, sighed. They entered Moody's office and Moody thrust a potion into Harry's hands. Gulping it down, Harry was relieved as he was able to see the room clearly.

"What happened, Potter?" Moody asked softly.

"V-Voldemort's back. He killed Cedric and he made a potion, there were Death Eaters. We duelled and there were people coming out of the wand."

"How did he treat the Death Eaters?"

"I-What do you mean?"

"I mean, was he nice to them? Did he forgive them?" Moody asked impatiently.

"Yes, yes. He forgave them. He tortured a few of them."

Moody nodded, "What happened then? In the graveyard."

"Well-" Then Harry realised something, "I don't think I said anything about a graveyard, Professor."

Moody grinned a very creepy smile, "Oh, I know."

Suspicious, Harry asked, "How do you know?"

"I thought you were smart, Potter. I thought it would be obvious now. But maybe not. See, I was the one who put your name in the Goblet of Fire. It was I who made sure that the Triwizard Cup was a Portkey so that it would take you to the Dark Lord. It was I who helped him return. And he's back."

Harry was alarmed, "You're mad. That's ridiculous. You're Dumbledore's friend! You wouldn't do something like that."

"Wouldn't I? Who was it that gave you the idea to use your flying skills to get past the dragons? Me! Who got Hagrid to show you the dragons? Me! Who told Cedric about the egg and knew that he would pass on the information because he was a good boy? Me! I hate Death Eaters who walk free and do nothing. I was trapped, but I escaped. I helped the Dark Lord return. Who is his most faithful servant? _Me! _And imagine, Potter! Just imagine how much he'll reward me when he finds that I killed you. When he finds that I've done the job for him," Moody cackled.

Pulling his wand out of his robe, Moody pointed it at Harry and Harry reached in to his pocket frantically and pulled out his. Just then the door burst open. "_Stupefy!" _Moody fell to the ground and Harry shuddered.

Lily rushed forward, "Oh my goodness, Harry!" She pulled him into a warm hug and Harry felt safe. James wrapped his arms around both of them, and Remus and Sirius watched a little alarmed at what was happening.

Harry wiggled out of his parents' grasp and turned to Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape. "Moody's a Death Eater."

Lily and McGonagall gasped. Dumbledore picked up a bottle that Harry recognised as the flask Moody always drank from. Flicking the lid open. Dumbledore took a whiff, "Polyjuice Potion. This isn't the real Moody. He's probably in there." Dumbledore pointed to the trunk in the corner of the room. "I'm guessing he's in there? Remus, Severus, Sirius?"

They nodded and stepped forward. Grabbing the keys from the desk, Snape opened the trunk. It had seven compartments and they were shocked as they saw Alastor Moody in the last one. The biggest compartment held Moody, who was lying there without his magical eye and his wooden leg.

Dumbledore looked relieved, "Are you alright, Alastor?"

"Nothing I haven't experienced before," Moody said gruffly, "Get me out of here!"

Sirius and Remus jumped in and Snape helped lift him out. "There you are, Mad-Eye." Sirius smiled.

Dumbledore smiled at Sirius, "Minerva? Would you please take Alastor to the Hospital Wing?"

"Certainly, Headmaster," McGonagall replied. Casting a worried look at Harry, she helped the Auror walk out of the room.

Harry looked up at Dumbledore, "Will Professor Moody be alright?"

"Yes, Harry," Dumbledore smiled. "Now I think our imposter, forgot to take his potion tonight, in all that excitement."

A few seconds later, the fake Moody's face began to change. The swivelling eye fell and rolled onto the floor. The leg popped out and right before their eyes, a blonde man sat. McGonagall, who had just appeared in the room, gasped, "Barty Crouch Junior!"

"Indeed," Dumbledore said, "Minerva, go to the kitchens and please bring back Winky, the house-elf. Severus, please find the strongest truth potion you possess."

The two professors rushed out together. Silence filled the room and dread filled Harry. Arms enveloped him again and he smiled softly at his Mum, who rubbed his back soothingly. Sirius and Remus were standing rigidly next to James, who looked anxious.

McGonagall hurried back with Winky, who gasped, rushed forwards and fell to her knees beside Barty Crouch Jr.

"Master Barty? What in the world is you doing here?" Winky practically wailed.

Dumbledore crouched down and smiled at Winky, "Sit over there please, Winky. _Rennervate_," Dumbledore muttered, his wand pointed at the unconscious man, who came around.

Snape hurried forward and forced the truth potion down Barty Crouch Junior's throat.

Dumbledore knelt down to his level and asked him softly, "Can you hear me?"

The man's eyes fluttered, "Yes."

"Good. Now please tell us how you are here. How is it that you escaped Azkaban?" Dumbledore questioned.

Crouch took a deep breath, "It was my mother who saved me. She knew she was dying, so she begged my father to save me as a last favour to her. My father loved her deeply and so he agreed. They came to visit me, giving me Polyjuice Potion with some of my mother's hair and she took a Polyjuice Potion which contained some of mine. My father smuggled me out as my mother, just in case some of the other prisoners were watching. The Dementors are blind, they can only sense, and they sensed one healthy person and one weak person entering and one healthy person and one weak person leaving."

Winky sobbed, "You mustn't say anymore. You is getting your father into trouble!"

"My mother died a short while later. She was careful, though, to take the Polyjuice Potion right till the end. She was buried in my name. Everyone believes she was me."

"What happened when you got home?"

"We staged my mother's death and held a quite, private funeral. Father put the house-elf in charge of me. She helped me and nursed me back to health. My father knew that I had to be kept a secret, hidden from the world, controlled so I wouldn't break free. He used the Imperius Curse to subdue me. I was always under an Invisibility Cloak. Winky pitied me. She gave me treats for my good behaviour sometimes."

"Master Barty, don't say no more! You is getting us into so much trouble," Winky cried.

"Did anyone find out about you?"

"Yes. A Ministry witch called Bertha Jorkins came in to give my father some office papers, but she heard Winky talking to me and she figured out what was happening and when my father came home, she confronted him. He placed a Memory Charm on her. It was so powerful, he said, that it damaged her memory completely."

"What about the Quidditch Cup?"

"Winky convinced my father to take me. She said that I loved Quidditch and that my mother hadn't died to keep me imprisoned. He agreed in the end. It was carefully thought out. My father took Winky and me, concealed under the cloak to the Top Box. Winky was to sit there, next to me, saying that she was saving a seat for my father. We would leave when everyone else had gone. No one would know. But they didn't know that I was becoming stronger. I saw a wand in a boy's back pocket and I stole it. Winky didn't know. She had her face covered. She's afraid of heights."

"You bad, bad boy!" Winky scolded through her tears.

"What did you do with the wand?" Dumbledore asked.

"We went back to the tent and then we heard them. The Death Eaters. The ones who walked free. The ones who'd had so many opportunities to help my master, but didn't. I hated them. They were toying with the Muggles. My father left to help the Muggles and Winky became worried. She used her own brand of magic to stop me from doing anything, because she saw I was so angry. We left the tent and she pulled me into the forest. But I used the wand I had stolen to cast the Dark Mark into the sky. To scare them all."

He paused and drew another deep breath before continuing, "The Ministry wizards arrived and sent Stunning spells at us. We both fell; the spells she had cast were broken. I was under the cloak, but Winky was discovered. My father knew I was nearby, so he waited till the rest of them had gone and put me back under the Imperius Curse, then he dismissed Winky. She had failed him."

Winky began to sob again and McGonagall placed a light hand on her bony shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

"Now it was just my father and me at home. Then...then my master came for me. Late one night, he came to my house in the arms of Wormtail. He had found Bertha Jorkins, who had given him information about me being alive. She had also told him about Moody, who was to teach at Hogwarts. My father opened the door and then he was under the Dark Lord's control. My master told him to go about his daily business as usual. And then I awoke. I was back, alive as I hadn't been for ages."

"And what did Lord Voldemort order you to do?"

A maniacal smile appeared on Crouch's face. "He asked me if I was ready to risk everything to help him return to power, I was! It had been my greatest dream for a long time. He told me that he needed a faithful servant at Hogwarts who'd ensure that Harry Potter's name was put into the Goblet of Fire. Someone who would watch over Harry Potter. Someone who'd ensure the boy could reach the Triwizard Cup, which was to be turned into a Portkey. But first, we needed Alastor Moody."

Dumbledore looked disapproving, his eyes were blazing, but his voice was alarmingly calm, "How?"

"Wormtail and I did it together. After preparing the Polyjuice Potion, we journeyed to Moody's house. Moody put up a fight, there was quite the commotion, but we managed and we got what we wanted. We forced him into his own trunk and I took his hair and became his double. When Arthur Weasley arrived, I lied and told him that I had seen intruders. I made the dustbins move and told him that they had done it. I packed up all of Moody's possessions and headed for Hogwarts, carrying the real Moody with me, of course. I had to keep a stock of Polyjuice Potion and his hair; I needed to find out his habits, what he was like. When I was caught by Severus Snape in the Potions cupboard, I told him that I was under orders to search it."

"What did Wormtail do after you had done this?"

"He went back to my house to take care of my master and watch my father."

"But he escaped?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes. He too began to fight the Imperius Curse, just as I had. My master forced him to send letters to the Ministry claiming that he was sick. But Wormtail was shirking his job and my father escaped and headed for Hogwarts. My master knew what he was going to do... so he notified me. I watched and waited for him. I used the map that Potter had given me."

"What map?" Dumbledore questioned sharply.

"Potter's map of Hogwarts. He saw me on it, in Snape's office. He thought I was my father, because we have the same name. I took the map from him and told him that my father hated Dark wizards and that my father was after Snape. Potter believed me."

He paused briefly; his eyes closed again, "I waited for a week. Finally he arrived one evening. I put on the Invisibility Cloak and headed down. He was at the edge of the forest and then Potter and Krum arrived. They saw my father. He told them to get Dumbledore. Potter ran to get him. I Stunned Krum and then... I killed my father."

Winky was borderline hysterical now, "Nooooooo! Master Barty, oh MasterBarty! W-what is you saying?"

"You killed your father, but what did you do with his body?" inquired the Headmaster.

"Carried it into the Forest and covered it with the Cloak. I looked at the map. I saw Potter run into the castle and meet Snape, then Dumbledore joined them and Potter brought Dumbledore out into the Forest. I walked out of the Forest and doubled back, and told them that Snape had sent me. Dumbledore told me to go and look for my father. I went back to my father's body and transfigured it into bone when I saw everyone had gone. Then I buried it, wrapped up in the cloak, in the freshly dug earth in front of Hagrid's cabin."

There was silence and then Winky's sobs.

Crouch continued, "Then tonight I offered to carry the Cup into the maze, I turned it into a Portkey. My master is back, his plan worked. I will be honoured by him. His most faithful servant forevermore." His smile was back and then his head lolled onto his shoulder and Winky's wails of despair filled the room again.

Dumbledore stood up and looked at Crouch with a mixture of disgust and pity. "Minerva, would you be so kind and stand guard over him?"

McGonagall nodded, "Of course."

Dumbledore smiled in thanks and then pointed his wand at Crouch and muttered an incantation. Ropes shot out of Dumbledore's wand and bound themselves tightly around Crouch.

"Severus, please go to the Forest, where Cornelius Fudge is waiting. I'm sure he would like to question Crouch himself. Bring him up here and tell him that if he would like to speak to me, I'll be in the Hospital Wing in around half an hour."

Snape nodded and left.

Dumbledore turned to Harry. "Harry, James, Sirius, Remus, Lily, would you all accompany me to my office please?"

Sirius nodded along with the rest of them. They walked quickly to Dumbledore's office, where Fawkes was perched on his little stand.

They sat down on the chairs that were there and Dumbledore sat on his chair and sighed. He looked worried too, Harry realised.

"Now, Harry, I would like for you to give a recount of what happened," Dumbledore told him.

Harry just looked down, not wanting to remember anything. Lily rubbed his back and James squeezed his hand.

"Harry, if I thought that it would help, I would let it go for tonight. But it won't," Dumbledore said softly.

Harry nodded and took a deep breath before beginning to explain everything that had happened. He told them about how Fleur had screamed in the maze and then he had seen Viktor attacking Cedric because he'd been placed under the Imperius Curse. How he and Cedric had decided to take the Cup together –for a Hogwarts's victory. He continued to tell them about how the Cup had been a Portkey and that it had transported them to a graveyard where Wormtail and Lord Voldemort had been waiting. Then he choked back a sob as he told them about Wormtail killing Cedric. He told them about being tied up to the tombstone of Voldemort's father, the potion and then Voldemort coming back, with a proper body. How the Death Eaters had been called and dealt with, and who they were. Harry told his family and Dumbledore their names: Malfoy, Macnair, Avery, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott and some that he didn't remember that well. Harry sighed as he told them about him being placed under both the Imperius and the Cruciatus Curse. Then he went on to describe the duel and how their wands had had some sort of connection.

"A connection?" Remus asked confused.

Dumbledore hummed his yes, "Priori Incantatem."

Lily gasped, "The reverse spell effect?"

"Correct. It occurs when wands have the same core. You have the same phoenix feather. From Fawkes, actually," Dumbledore said.

"From Fawkes? That explains why I heard his song during the connection," Harry murmured.

"That means you would have seen some form of the most recent deaths Lord Voldemort's wand has caused," Dumbledore said.

"Yes. I saw Cedric and Frank Bryce, Bertha Jorkins and Mum. But not Dad," Harry replied.

"No, he didn't kill me, I just got knocked out. But Lily?" James asked and then as they shared a look, James got a look of awareness.

Harry, who hadn't seen their exchange turned to his mother.

Lily smiled at her son, "I was able to block the spell because of the protection spells that I had cast. The spell must have killed me, but somehow I was bought back to life."

"How?" Harry asked.

"Because of the spell. Or possibly because Voldemort thought that he had killed me," Lily replied.

Harry was confused. "That's possible, Lily," Dumbledore said, "What happened afterwards?"

Harry explained about the shadowy forms who had told him to run and grab the Cup. Then he had been transported back.

Dumbledore nodded, "You've been very brave, Harry. I'm very proud of you. You've gone through something that no one, young or old should go through. Now I suggest you head down to the Hospital Wing where Madam Pomfrey will check you up."

Lily led Harry out, and James, Remus and Sirius followed them. Madam Pomfrey hugged Lily and smiled at Harry, "You'll be safe now, honey," Lily told her son.

She healed his leg and his arm. James helped Harry into his pyjamas and Harry laid down on the bed. Bill, Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Mrs Weasley joined them next to Harry's bed. Lily brushed Harry's hair and pulled him in for a hug, casting a worried glance at her husband when Harry broke down in her arms.

"Oh, sweetheart, let it all out," Lily murmured into his ear.

And Harry did. He cried for Cedric, he cried for himself and he cried because he knew that another war was coming and they were going to lose someone. He pulled back and smiled slightly at his mother.

"Thanks, Ma."

"Nonsense, sweetheart. You've been through so much. It's only natural." Lily smiled, tears in her eyes.

Everyone was smiling at the tender sight and then they all jumped when Hermione slammed the window shut.

She stood there, blushing slightly with a jar in her hand and a very sheepish expression, "Sorry."

James tucked his son in and kissed his forehead. Sirius handed him the sleeping potion and he coaxed Harry to drink it. Harry gulped half of it down and he was out like a light, into a dreamless sleep.

He awoke a few hours later, to people shouting. Mrs Weasley and Lily looked horrified at the amount of noise that was being made. Harry listened without his glasses. Sitting up, he exchanged a look with Ron as they heard McGonagall yelling at Fudge, who had called a Dementor to perform the Kiss on Crouch. Dumbledore was infuriated. Fudge had just taken away the proof of Voldemort's return. Fudge refused to believe it and he stormed to Harry's bed.

"Your winnings, Mr Potter," Fudge sneered and he dropped the bag of winnings on Harry's bedside table.

"Minister. Trust me, Voldemort is back. Why would you think that anyone would lie about something like this?" Harry asked. Sirius placed a calming hand on Harry's shoulder.

"That's ridiculous. I suggest you stop your attention-seeking techniques at once, Mr Potter. It's going to cause a lot of disruption," Fudge said angrily.

"Excuse me? Did you just call my son _attention-seeking_? You need to open your eyes, Minister. Remember, you're treading on thin ice with the Ministry, one more slip up and you'll be gone. I suggest you listen. For your sake and the rest of the Wizarding world," Lily retorted, her eyes blazing.

James pulled her back gently, "Shhh, Lils."

Snape stepped forward and pulled up the sleeve of his left arm, revealing the mark Harry had seen on the arm of Wormtail. The Dark Mark. "I was once a Death Eater, Fudge. It's pitch black. It hasn't been this way for years."

Fudge shook his head, "You should be ashamed of yourselves."

Then he stormed out. Dumbledore sighed and turned to Harry, gave him a small smile.

"Remus, James, Sirius, Severus, I'd like for you to put your differences aside," Dumbledore ordered. He made them shake hands, and their looks of distaste made Harry smile. "Bill, contact Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher and the old crowd. Remus, would you please go with him?"

Dumbledore nodded at them and left.

"Bye, Bill, Uncle Remus," Harry said softly.

"We'll see you later kiddo. Get some rest, alright?" Remus smiled. They hurried out of the Hospital Wing.

"Harry?" Ginny said in a small voice.

"Yeah, Gin?" Harry smiled at her.

"Are you ok?"

Harry nodded at her, "Yes."

Ginny rolled her eyes when he wasn't looking, and Hermione cast her an amused glance as she mouthed, 'he's a very bad liar.'

"Drink the rest of your potion, mate," Ron grimaced, worried. He handed Harry the potion.

Harry smiled at him, gulped down the rest of the potion, and fell back lightly against his pillows, falling in to a deep sleep.

* * *

Harry got out of the Hospital Wing the next day and headed for the Great Hall along with Hermione, Ginny and Ron. He felt tired and scared; the leaving feast was one thing that he wasn't looking forward to. Dumbledore told everyone what had happened and they toasted to Cedric Diggory and Harry. Then it was time to leave.

Harry made no attempt to talk to anyone during the train ride home. Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny, Luna and Demelza were silent too, not wanting to disrupt his thoughts. Hermione, however, did have a tale to tell. She took out a jar that held a bug and she explained to her friends that it was actually Rita Skeeter, an unregistered Animagus. She said that she was keeping Skeeter in the jar that she had charmed to make unbreakable, until Skeeter promised not to publish lies and say horrible things about people.

Harry left the train and looked for Fred and George, grinning when he found them.

"Listen, Fred, George. I want you to have this." Harry pulled out the bag containing one thousand Galleons –his Triwizard winnings.

"Are you mental?" George asked.

"Probably," Harry joked, but then he became serious, "Take it. I know you want to start your joke shop. I have a feeling we're going to need those laughs."

Fred took the bag from him, "I-Wow! How can we thank you?"

Harry shook his head, "Don't. Just promise you won't tell your mother where you got it from."

"We won't, mate. We love you too much for that. But thank you, Harry," George said sincerely.

He headed over to his parents, after saying bye to his friends, smiling when they pulled him in for a hug. They took a Portkey back to Potter Manor. Harry sighed in relief. He was finally home.

**A/N: Hello again. So I did say I have a few things to tell you so here goes. Firstly, my family and I are moving to India, but I've decided that I want to go to an international boarding school, just because it'll be easier for me to adjust. Now the timetables are really strict and stuff, so I don't know how often I'll be able to write and update. However I do get to go home every other week, so I'll be able to write then. We've short-listed two or three boarding schools, and one of them does allow me to take my laptop, but the rest of them having a lot of computer facilities and stuff, so I'm sure it won't be too much of a problem.**

**Secondly, I'm going to re-do some of the chapters, mainly because I think they need a few changes. **

**Thirdly a little note to the anonymous reviewers. Although I have no problem with you reviewing anonymously, I hope you know that, I can't reply to thank you, or to answer your questions. I'm really grateful for all your reviews though, just wanted to let you know.**

**Finally just a huge thank you to everyone who reviews. And to those of you who read this huge authors note...Lol :) **

**Now, did you like the chapter? Let me know your thoughts. Reviews will get teasers so please review...even if it's just a little one saying, 'update soon please' or 'WTF?' XD Anyway...A very Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate it and best wishes for a very happy new year! **

**Love,**

**Ishani x**


	26. Chapter 26:The Order Of The Phoenix

**A/N: Hey! How's it going? First of all a very (late) Happy New Year to all of you. I hope you've had a good one so far. I am allowed my laptop, so this means I will be able to write and upload to this story. I want to thank everyone for their amazingly supportive reviews and all the well wishers. School could be better, but I'm adjusting bwahaha. Also a huge huge thank you to the people who have added me to their alerts and faves. :) A virtual box of cookies for everyone who has :D *sends the cookies.* And finally to my Beta who is just insanely amazing. Amelíe...You rule :) This chapter has a lot of family time ahah :) I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.**

Chapter 26: The Order of the Phoenix

Sirius sighed as he watched Harry in the garden. He knew his godson had seen a lot this summer and he'd barely smiled since. Sirius knew why Harry was so antsy; there had been no news of Voldemort. No disappearances, no deaths, and although this was good for the moment, they all couldn't help but think that he was up to something. But worst of all, he wasn't showing himself, making Harry and Dumbledore look like liars.

Sirius knew James, Remus and Lily were just as nervous as Harry and himself, but he hated seeing Harry like this. He walked up to him.

"Hey, kiddo. Are you alright?" Sirius asked softly.

"Yeah. I'm alright," Harry replied.

"Cut the crap, kiddo, I've known you long enough to tell when you're upset, or worried or angry," Sirius retorted, placing a soothing hand on Harry's shoulder, "It's going to turn out fine. I know you don't want to talk, but if you do, just know that we're all here for you. Whenever you need us."

"Thanks, Uncle Sirius," Harry smiled.

"Anytime, kiddo, anytime," Sirius said, then he decided to change the subject, "Hey, how about we get to work on your Animagus forms? You didn't tell us how far you've gotten with them."

Harry grinned at his godfather, thankful for the change in subject, "Well, I don't want to brag but now I can change my head too!"

"No shit!" Sirius exclaimed.

Lily, who heard him, came out into the garden, "Language, Sirius."

"Right. Sorry," Sirius replied sheepishly, then he turned to Harry, "Let's go to my room. I want to see."

They headed back to Sirius's room and he instructed Harry to change his torso. He changed his arms into wings, and his head into a phoenix's head. The only thing that remained the same, were his eyes, which contrasted with the red and gold beautifully.

Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes, picturing a torso with the golden red plumage of a phoenix. He heard a whistle and then a yelp of astonishment and he opened his eyes.

"I did it!"

"Yes you did. Try the legs now," Sirius encouraged.

Harry looked at his human legs and closed his eyes and then he heard Sirius's shout of triumph when within seconds he'd become a full phoenix.

"Woah!" Sirius looked amazed, "Harry, that was incredible. Now change back to your human form and try it again. If you can do it, then you've mastered the phoenix form."

Harry changed back to his human form and grinned as he changed back. Within minutes, he'd become a phoenix. Sirius grinned.

"Alright, so now you can do it bit by bit in one go. Change back and see if you can get the whole transformation in one go." He saw Lily standing at the door, "Lils, you've got to see this."

Lily's mouth was wide open, "Harry?"

He changed back and smiled at her, "Hey, Mum."

Sirius grinned, "In one go now."

Harry drew in another deep breath and concentrated. Five minutes later he had become a phoenix.

"You did it! He did it! In a year. It took James and me ages. Alright, now let's keep practicing this bit. The more we practice, the faster it will be," Sirius said excitedly.

Lily laughed, "Oh, well done, sweetheart! Alright, practice a little longer, lunch will be served in a few hours. Have fun."

She went out smiling fondly, and Harry and Sirius got straight to work. They worked for another hour, and after that Harry had got the phoenix transformation down-pat. He could transform from his human form to the phoenix and back in less than three seconds.

"Well done, Kiddo! Now we should try the phoenix skills," Sirius said excitedly.

"Skills?" Harry asked confused.

"Yeah, like flying, the phoenix song, healing powers, carrying very heavy loads and flashing," Sirius listed.

Harry nodded his head, "Let's do this."

Sirius rubbed his hands together in glee, "Alright then. First you need to change back into the phoenix. Then, spread your wings and fly."

Harry changed back and then hesitantly, spread his wings. He flapped them twice and then kept on flapping until he was off the ground and soaring around Sirius's room. He felt free, it was even better than being on a broomstick. Unable to contain his joy, he let out peal after peal of phoenix song, which made Remus and James come to the door of the bedroom.

"I just got home and heard Fawkes. What's he doin-" James saw Sirius's proud expression, "Is that Harry?"

Remus just looked at Sirius in awe as they waited for an answer. Sirius grinned and nodded, "It most definitely is."

Harry swooped down to the floor and within seconds he was back to his human form. He let out a whoop of joy and turned to his dad and uncles. "I did it!"

James and Remus smiled, "Have you tried everything else?"

Sirius shook his head, "No; we were going to."

James nodded, "Transform back, Harry, and see if you can fly around carrying me."

Harry changed back into the phoenix and hovered over James, waiting for him to grab his tail feathers, when he did, Harry lifted him off the ground. To Harry's surprise, James felt very light and he felt a slight jerk when Sirius grabbed James's leg. Sirius let out a shout of glee.

"Remus, why don't you join us?"

Remus smiled, "Don't mind if I do."

Remus caught on to Sirius's leg and the three Marauders began to laugh boisterously. They were making such a racket that Lily, Dorea and the twins came to see what was going on.

"What in the world...Is that Harry?" Lily gasped.

Harry let his passengers down before switching back. "Yeah, Mum, it's me."

"Oh wow! Well done honey!" Dorea smiled. Arya and Iris grinned at their big brother. They were exactly identical, apart from their eye colours. Iris's eyes were a deep chocolatey brown and Arya's were a dark, forest green, much darker than her mother's.

Lily pulled her son in for a hug. "You have fun. Lunch will be ready in around an hour. Daisy can't decide what to make. These two," Lily pointed at James and Remus, "were fighting over which dessert they wanted. Pineapple upside-down cake or vanilla sponge cake."

"What's she making?" James asked.

"Both," Dorea replied laughing at James's and Remus's excited expressions. "We'll be downstairs. Don't go making too much racket, and if you break anything, or injure someone because you did something stupid, please don't be surprised when you get punished."

They left and Harry turned to his dad, "What's next then?"

"Healing tears. I'm going to make a little cut on my finger. If you can heal it, great, if not I'll heal it myself," James smiled.

Harry shifted nervously and changed into a phoenix again, watching James cut his finger with a pen knife. Sadness washed over him as he saw the cut and the blood oozing out. He felt pain, and without warning a large fat tear dropped down on James's finger. There was a little bit of white smoke, and a soft hiss and Harry changed back as he watched his father's finger heal. There was another loud whoop and the four of them launched themselves into a celebratory hug.

Remus grinned, "That leaves one thing. Flashing or teleportation. You'll be able to disappear and appear somewhere else in a flash of fire."

Harry's eyes widened, "Awesome! Can I try it?"

"Sure!" James smiled, "Sirius will stay here and Remus and I will wait in the room next door. Flash there and flash back."

Harry nodded. He pictured the Remus's bedroom next door and transformed. Within seconds his wings began to tingle and warm sensation took over his feathery body. He felt his body moving, and when his eyes fluttered open he saw Remus and James grinning at him. He closed his eyes so that he could flash back. The tingly sensation was back and a few seconds later he was back in Sirius's room with the three adults looking so proud they could burst. Harry turned back and grinned.

"You, clever little brat! You did it!" Sirius shouted. He rubbed his tummy as it rumbled, "Now, let's go get some lunch."

* * *

Harry rubbed his full stomach as they entered the living room. The whole family flopped down on their respective chairs and Sirius yawned before talking, "Prongs, when do you want to go to Grimmauld Place? Remus, Harry and I are free, so it's up to you."

Lily smiled, "Are you going to go anytime today?"

Sirius shook his head, "No. But we should go soon; I just want to clean it out before everyone goes there. I was talking to Dotty and Daisy and they suggested calling Dobby and Winky to help, but if Kreacher's ok then I guess he could do it."

"Is it that bad?" Harry asked sceptically.

Sirius chuckled, "You don't know the half of it."

James smiled, "We'll go tomorrow. It's important that we get it cleaned."

Harry raised his eyebrows, "Why? What's going on there?"

Arya and Iris giggled as Dorea replied, "The Order of the Phoenix."

"What's that?" Harry questioned.

"It's a secret society that Dumbledore founded in the First Wizarding War, to try to stop Voldemort and his Death Eaters. That's why Dumbledore sent some of us away that night at the Hospital Wing: to round everyone up and get it started again. But we need a secret location and Sirius offered his house because it's perfect because his parents put lots of enchantments on it to stop the Muggles seeing it. The Ministry are being stupider than ever by not listening to Dumbledore, so we're going to have to do something instead."

"Is Kreacher still there?" Remus asked.

Sirius nodded, "That crazy house-elf's probably polishing my mother's portrait as we speak."

"Well, I guess it'll be fun then eh?" Harry smiled.

* * *

Harry looked around Grimmauld Place in dismay. He sighed and shook his head. _No, this definitely will not be fun._

Sirius chuckled as he saw Harry's expression, "You think this is bad? I had to live here."

Harry repressed a shudder. The house was extremely dark, dull and depressing. The picture of Mrs Black had started to shriek insults as soon as they entered through the front door. With the help of James and Remus, Sirius managed to pull some dusty, red curtains over the portrait.

Halfway through the tour of the first floor, Harry met Kreacher. He was wearing a dirty, ripped pillowcase, like Dobby, but his behaviour and attitude were completely different. He would mutter insults under his breath, but looked innocent and confused when they responded. James and Remus thought that it was because he'd been alone for so long, but Sirius was convinced he was just whacked.

They went all the way up to the final floor of the house, Kreacher following them, and Harry's distaste of the house kept increasing. It was full of dark objects and gold. The walls were a covered in a dust blanket so thick that it was almost impossible to decipher the colour of the walls.

"Well he obviously hasn't cleaned a thing," Sirius commented, glaring at Kreacher.

"Are you going to call Dobby and Winky?" Remus asked.

"Yes, definitely. This place needs some serious work." Sirius nodded.

"What about him?" James asked pointing as Kreacher.

Sirius's eyes brightened as he spotted an old sock on the floor. He picked it up and handed it to Kreacher, who was still murmuring insults under his breath. "Here Kreacher. I'm giving you clothes."

With a dirty look, Kreacher snatched the sock from Sirius's hand, "I is going to a sensible member of the family. Miss Bella and Miss Cissy will be glad to have me." And with a _crack _he disappeared.

"Bella and Cissy?" Harry asked, staring at the spot Kreacher had been a few seconds ago.

"Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy-" Remus began.

"Malfoy?" Harry asked surprised.

"Yeah, I'm related to them. Cousins." Sirius spat the word, his nose wrinkling with displeasure.

The Marauders laughed as Harry winced and muttered, "Ouch."

"Yeah, so anyway, enough of my family history. I'm going to call Dobby and Winky and see if they will help." Sirius smiled.

Harry grinned, "From my experience, I know that Dobby will be more than happy to help."

Sirius muttered a few incantations under his breath. "Ok, we're all set. Now Kreacher can't come back with any of my family, so we're all good. Er...Harry? Can you call Dobby please? You've obviously been acquainted."

Harry laughed, "Sure. Err...Dobby? Winky?"

There were two _cracks _and Dobby and Winky stood in front of them beaming from ear to ear.

"Harry Potter sir! You called Dobby and Winky, is there anything you is needing?" Dobby asked.

Sirius sighed, "Yeah. We need help cleaning this dump."

Winky and Dobby looked around, "We're happy to help."

"Really? Thank you!" Sirius looked elated, "Are you sure it's not too much work?"

"Most definitely not, Master Sirius. We is glad to be helping." Winky smiled, "We should be done by tomorrow."

As unbelievable as it sounded, when they returned the next day, the house looked spotless.

"Holy shit!" James exclaimed.

"You know, if Mum was here she'd cuff you around the head," Harry said grinning evilly.

James glared at Harry, "Yes, and that is exactly why you are not going to tell her."

Sirius shook his head and turned to thank Dobby and Winky, "You guys are amazing! Thank you so much. I'm going to pay you, of course."

"But we does not want it. We is happy to help," Winky said.

"Trust me, Winky, there's no point trying to convince him otherwise. Once he's decided something, you really can't try to change his mind," Remus smiled.

Dobby and Winky agreed, Winky slightly hesitant, and Harry was glad that they could go home again. However clean the house was, it still gave him the creeps.

* * *

A few days later, James ran into the kitchen, chasing Arya and Iris. He caught them both and blew raspberries on their tummies before sitting them down on their chairs.

"Wow, James, looks like you've found a game that's suitable for your age," Sirius smirked.

James smiled at Dotty as he was handed his breakfast, "Shut it, Padfoot."

Remus shook his head at Lily, Dorea and Harry who were watching, amused, "Kids. Anyway, what's the update on Grimmauld Place?"

Lily looked up from her breakfast, "Dumbledore said it was the perfect location. They're making sure the enchantments can hold back any unwanted visitors now. Oh, and Dumbledore said he wanted the Weasleys and Hermione to stay there for their own safety—"

"What? No! That place is dead boring," Harry interrupted

Lily smiled, "Let me finish sweetie. So James and I thought it would be a good idea if we invited them here. I sent them letters this morning."

"That's great!" Harry exclaimed.

"Oh this will be wonderful. It'll be nice to have the house full of people," Dorea smiled.

"What are we then?" Sirius whined

"Hooligans," Lily smiled.

Sirius pouted and Lily just shrugged, "You walked right into that one."

Harry laughed; if you didn't count the whole Voldemort situation, it was going to be a very good summer.

**A/N: So how was that? Leave me your thoughts :) Reviews will get teasers as usual. They might be a little late because my free time on the laptop is restricted, but I promise you'll get them! So don't forget to :) Once again, Happy New Year everyone! Now...review :D Go on...you know you want to ;)  
**

**Love,**

**Ishani x  
**


	27. Chapter 27:Having Company

**A/N: Hiya folks! How's everyone doing? So before you guys start pelting me with tomatoes and insults for updating so late, I want to apologise. Boarding school is really really busy and we just had sports day and stuff, and then we had IBDP people coming to inspect us and then I had a few end of until tests, and then we've had a few problems in our friends circle. Then I want to thank everyone who reviewed, because the reviews have really been very encouraging. This chapter took a lot of time because there was a bit of research and a lot of thought involved. Once again a HUGE thank you for everyone's support!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 27: Having Company, Obtaining Power.

Harry ran down the stairs the next morning and hurried into the kitchen where Lily let out a gasp, "What in the world?"

"Mum, are you ok?" Harry asked in concern.

Lily looked at her son, her eyes blazing. She held the Daily Prophet in her hand. James, Sirius and Remus entered.

James took one look at Lily's face and was at her side in an instant, "Lils? What's wrong?"

"Have any of you looked in the paper recently? Gosh, those dirty, lying bas-..well you know what I mean." Lily said.

Dorea shook her head, "I was wondering when you were going to notice. Fudge has really taken it too far. Poor Harry."

"Hello?" Harry said, annoyed, "I'm still here! What's going on."

Remus sighed and took the paper from Lily, "I don't know if you should read it, Kiddo, it's all a bunch of lies."

Harry shrugged, "I'm used to it."

Sirius shook his head, "No, no. This is different. It's making you look like an attention seeking twat."

James rolled his eyes, "Don't hold back, Sirius. It's titled _'The Boy Who Lies'. _It's basically telling the Wizarding world that you're not to be trusted and that you're lying about Voldemort's return just to get attention."

Lily continued from where James had left off, "And if that isn't bad enough, they've also included Dumbledore in this."

Harry gritted his teeth, "Why would Fudge do that?"

Remus sighed, "He's scared of Dumbledore; he thinks Dumbledore wants his job."

Harry snorted, "What? That's insane! Dumbledore doesn't want to be Minister for Magic."

Sirius nodded, "We know, but Fudge has been blinded by his power."

James shook his head, "That's what people have been commenting about at work. Gosh, what assholes."

Dorea placed a comforting hand on her son's shoulder and shook her head, "There's no sense in getting angry about this. Ignore it and hopefully Fudge and his Ministry will come to their senses. Now have your breakfast, your pancakes are getting cold."

"Hey, Harry, do you want to work on your Animagus forms before Hermione gets here? She's coming later on in the afternoon," James smiled.

"Yeah, thanks, Dad. That'll be great. When are the Weasleys getting here?"

"Tonight. Molly wanted to pack up the house properly," Lily told him.

Harry stuffed his last pancake in his mouth, "'Kay, let's go."

He raced his father and his uncles to the library.

"We're working in the library?" Sirius asked, wrinkling his nose.

"It's alright, mate, it's not like we're forcing you to read or anything," Remus chuckled.

"Yeah, because we all know how painful that would be," Harry chimed in.

Sirius mock-glared at his godson, "You become more like your parents every day."

James smiled and pointed at Harry, "You'd better take that as a compliment."

Harry shook his head, "Should we try the owl now?"

"Yeah, it should come easy, because we've already done a bird." Sirius commented.

Sirius was right. Harry was able to change his arms very easily and they became the wings of a black owl. Half an hour later, Harry was able to transform from his human form to an owl with piercing green eyes and a black, feathered body.

"Well done, Sport!" James grinned.

"I did it!" Harry exclaimed.

"You did! Do you want to try the wolf now? We still have a couple of hours before Hermione gets here," Sirius asked.

"Bring it!" Harry grinned.

"That's my boy!" James slapped Harry on the back, "So, from the beginning now, change your arm."

Harry nodded and concentrated on his left arm. He tried to change it, but after an hour of nothing he gave up with a sigh, "I'm exhausted."

"That's alright, Harry, you've done a lot today." Remus smiled.

"Hey, Harry, your mum and I need to talk to you very soon, there's something we have to tell you," James said.

Harry looked up, and was surprised to see his father look worried, "Yeah, sure, Dad, no problem."

"James, we should go down; Dumbledore'll be here any moment now to cast the enchantments to make sure the Manor is the safest place around," Sirius said.

"Yeah, let's go." James smiled, "Harry, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go and see when Hermione's getting here," Harry smiled.

Just then Daisy entered the room, "Harry, your friend Hermione is waiting at the door with Nymphadora; you should go and meet them."

"Nymph is here too?" Sirius asked, "Sweet!"

Harry caught Remus's eye and shrugged and then started to run down the stairs. He saw Hermione standing next to a young woman with bubblegum pink hair and brown eyes. Harry grinned and pulled Hermione in for a hug.

"Hermione!"

Hermione giggled, "Hi, Harry."

Sirius smiled from next to them, "Nymphadora Tonks, what in the world are you doing here?"

The woman giggled and shook her head, "I'm a part of the order as you very well know, and don't call me Nymphadora." She turned to Harry, "You're Harry, I'm Nymphadora, but I prefer Tonks, I'm sure you can imagine why. It's nice to meet you."

"Yeah, you too. How do you know Uncle Sirius?" Harry asked.

"He's my cousin, twice removed or something, but I really don't listen to his mother, she was a witch for more reasons than one, if you know what I mean," Tonks grinned.

Harry laughed, deciding immediately that he liked her, "I do. Hey, Uncle Sirius, I guess this shows that you're not the only awesome one in your family."

Sirius grinned, "No, I'm the most awesome, but Nymph here comes at a close second."

Tonks whacked his arm, "I'll just take Hermione's trunk into the living room, so she can move it into her new room." She started to walk, the trunk levitating beside her, and she bumped into Remus, whose eyes darkened, a pink hue appearing on his cheeks.

"S-sorry," he stuttered.

Harry and Sirius looked confused, whereas Hermione, and Lily who had just come down the stairs, were watching the exchange with a knowing look.

Tonks looked up at him, "Uh, no it's my fault. I've always been clumsy."

Sirius shook his head and stepped forward, "It seems that my friend has forgotten how to make pleasantries. This is Remus Lupin; Remus, this is Nymphadora Tonks, who will smack you upside the head, if you call her anything but Tonks."

Tonks glared at Sirius, "It's nice to meet you," she said to Remus, biting her bottom lip.

Remus shook his head, "Oh no, the pleasure is all mine," he smiled at her, taking her hand in his.

James cleared his throat from his position next to Lily's, which brought both Remus and Tonks to reality.

Tonks grinned at everyone, "I-I should get going. Bye." She turned, stumbling slightly and walked out the door, Disapparating on the spot.

Sirius wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Remus, who rolled his eyes.

Hermione giggled and Harry looked at her, "What just happened?"

Hermione shook her head, rolling her eyes, "I think Sirius was the only one out of you boys to understand what just happened. I think Professor Lupin has a crush on Tonks."

"But he's like thirty-three and Tonks must be around twenty-four," Harry said puzzled.

"That doesn't matter. Anyway, don't hurt yourself thinking about it. Do you want to show me around now?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrows.

Harry laughed, "Sure. Where's Crookshanks?"

Hermione smiled, as they started their 'tour', "He jumped out of my hands as soon as he saw your garden. He's probably lying down in the sun."

Harry took her to the room he thought she'd like the most; he bit back a laugh when he heard her gasp.

"You own a library?" Hermione looked around the room, taking in the many bookshelves, filled with a ton of books that she hadn't yet been able to read.

Harry grinned, "Alright, come on. You can come back to your personal heaven later."

Hermione glared at him before sticking her tongue out, "Fine."

Harry was going to go but then Hermione caught sight of Dotty and Daisy, "You own house-elves?"

Harry grimaced, "Yeah, but Dotty and Daisy have been in our family for ages; they are basically a part of it. They have their own quarters, get paid and they get holidays."

Hermione looked at Harry's sheepish and slightly scared expression, "Alright, fine. Now show me the rest of the house. It looked huge from the outside, and judging from that library, the rest of the house has to be amazing."

Hermione found that she was right. Harry showed her all around the house, the bedrooms, the pools, the Quidditch Pitch and the gardens, the pond, the spa and Jacuzzi. Her eyes just got bigger and bigger and then Harry took her to the room Daisy had prepared for her. The room was a sage green colour with peach bedspread, and accessories to match. The dresser was a dark brown. The en-suite bathroom had a similar design. Hermione gasped.

"Wow, Harry, this is amazing!" Hermione turned to hug him.

"I'm glad you like it. So, do you want to unpack or do you want lunch? I'm kind of hungry." Harry shrugged.

"Let's go to lunch, I don't want to keep your family waiting," Hermione replied.

Harry nodded and led her down to the dining room where Dotty was setting the table.

"You is just in time, Harry, Daisy was about to send Dotty to call you. Miss Hermione, you is in for a real treat, Daisy has made pecan pie, just take it quickly, the Potters, Sirius and Remus pack in quite a lot."

Hermione giggled, "It's just Hermione, and thank you for the warning."

The rest of the family crowded around, and Hermione felt a tinge of jealousy when she saw the way Lily and James acted around Harry, because her parents treated her far too independently. Come to think of it, she couldn't remember the last time they'd shown her any sign of love. They showered her with presents, spoilt her, gave her the best money could buy, but they never did anything together. She shook the thoughts out of her head. She had more than one family now, and it was time to focus on the one that acted like it.

* * *

Harry and Hermione spent the day reading and watching movies. It turned out to be quite fun and Harry found that they had become much closer. James came into the living room with a smile on his face.

Hermione looked up from the castle she, Harry, Arya and Iris had created with Lego, "Good evening, Mr Potter,"

"Hello, sweetheart," James smiled, "Call me James. Wow, you guys made that?"

Arya grinned, "Do you wike it?"

James laughed and nodded, picking the twins up. "Oh, Harry, the Weasleys are arriving by Floo in ten minutes. You might want to pack up the castle you're building before Fred, George and Ron see it."

Hermione giggled as Harry nodded hurriedly, "Thank you for the heads up, Dad."

Harry waited till Arya and Iris were out of sight and then in one swift motion, he broke the castle and then with Hermione's help, continued to pack away the Lego blocks, "There goes the evidence."

Hermione shook her head and then smiled, "Just in time." She grinned as Biscuits ran into the room, followed by Crookshanks who was hissing viciously.

Harry laughed as Biscuits ran out again. "He's still very childish."

Just then the fireplace flashed bright green and Ron stumbled out of it carrying his trunk.

"Mate," Harry greeted.

Ron grinned and pulled his best friends in for a hug. Ginny came next, her eyes twinkling, and jumped into Harry's arms for a hug. Harry didn't know why, but at that moment, his heart began to race and his palms began to sweat. They exchanged hellos and then there were two yelps and the four of them turned to see Fred and George piled on top of their trunks.

Harry laughed and then noticed a few people were missing, "Where are Mr and Mrs Weasley...Oh and Percy."

Ginny's eyes blazed a bit brighter at the mention of Percy's name, "Mum wanted to make sure we didn't forget anything. They're Apparating here."

Ron looked at her and then sighed, "Percy just proved how much of a git he really was. He left."

"Left?" Hermione and Harry asked surprised.

Fred nodded, "He got promoted at the Ministry. Then, when he told Dad, Dad said that the Ministry was just using Percy to keep an eye on us and Harry. That pissed Percy off, so he said some things about Dad's reputation and how that was the reason he had struggled so much at the Ministry. He also bad-mouthed Dumbledore, saying that he was power-hungry and that he was a liar. Then he said that he didn't want to be a part of a family that went against the Ministry. He packed his bags and left that night."

Hermione raised her eyebrows, "Wow. I knew he loved the Ministry, but this is taking it a bit too far,"

George snorted, "You're tellin' me. Mum was a right state, she cried the next day and the day after that, and she tried to hide it."

Ron shook his head, "Let's not talk about him."

Harry smiled, "Yeah come on. I'll show you around."

Harry gave the Weasley kids the tour and their faces mirrored Hermione's one when Harry had shown her around. They all got their own rooms, much to the delight of the twins. Of all their reactions, Ginny's was Harry's favourite. Her room colour was a pale purple and the bedspread was white with purple flowers. The mahogany dresser was vintage, and the bathroom adjoining the bedroom had a huge tub and a flowered mirror.

Ginny gasped and turned to hug Harry; then kissed him on the cheek, thanking him profusely for the amazing room. Harry did all he could to stop himself from blushing, his cheek tingled and he waved away her thanks smiling.

They were on their way down to dinner when Ron turned to Harry, "Do you know what the Order of the Phoenix is? Mum and Dad keep mentioning it, but they won't tell us much about it."

"Yeah. It's an organisation that Dumbledore set up in the first war, to fight against Voldemort. They're trying to reassemble it, but from what I've heard there are many new members. They're working so hard because if Voldemort does come out into the open, the Ministry will be defenceless and then that will just end in disaster, so the Order is trying to help. They're basically finding a way to stop him from becoming as powerful as he was before. Uncle Sirius's old house is being used as the Headquarters and they were going to send you to live there, but frankly it's dead depressing, and so boring, that we refused," Harry told them.

Fred looked shocked, "That's more than we were told, for definite."

Harry shrugged, "I guess we'll find out more as the year goes on."

Hermione smiled at Harry, placing a hand on his shoulder as they entered Harry's room and whispered, "It's going to be okay, Harry, you'll see."

Ginny sat next to Harry, "How are you doing, Harry? I can only imagine how horrible the encounter with Voldemort was."

Harry grimaced, "I've been alright. The nightmares keep coming, obviously, but I think you guys need to know what happened that night."

Hermione's eyes widened and she squeezed Harry's hand, giving him some of the support he needed. Harry thanked her silently before launching into the tale. He started right from the beginning of the third task, till the part where he and Cedric took the cup together and then Ginny poked his arm gently, "Harry James Potter, don't you dare blame yourself for Cedric's death."

Harry looked at her, surprised. How did she know what he was thinking? Fred saw the doubt in his eyes and smiled at Harry, "You need to listen to Ginny, Harry; it really wasn't your fault."

Ron and George nodded, "You didn't want all the glory. You didn't know that it was a Portkey."

Hermione shook her head knowing that he wasn't going to listen to them, "Continue with the story, Harry."

He continued to tell them about Wormtail killing Cedric and how he was tied to the tombstone of Tom Riddle Sr. Ginny's and Hermione's eyes widened as he told them about Wormtail making the potion and then bringing Voldemort to life; the summoning of the Death Eaters and the duel. He finished with a small shudder that Ginny felt and she pulled him in for a hug.

Once again his mind went black, his head spinning. He burrowed his head in her thick, fiery hair. He was surprised to find it smelt like flowers. His spine began to tingle and his stomach began to knot up. He didn't particularly get why. She'd always been a very good friend of his, but then he realised that although she was as good a friend as Hermione, he had never thought of her as a sister. It was always something more, something stronger, like a connection. He was used to her hugging him, because it was the type of person Ginny was. She knew when her friends needed comforting and she had no problem giving it to them, but this time it felt different. Harry wondered what was wrong with him, he felt _crazy._ He shook the thoughts out of his head and pulled away, smiling.

"Enough of this now. Who wants to play a game?" Harry asked, grinning at the eager response.

* * *

The next day, Harry was surprised to see his parents in his room, waiting for him to wake up.

"Good morning," Harry yawned.

"Hi, sweetheart. Dad told you that we needed to talk to you right?" Lily smiled.

Harry nodded, "Yeah. I'll just clean up. I'll be back in a minute."

Harry jumped out of bed and washed his face quickly, before brushing his teeth and running a quick brush through his hair, trying to tame it, and failing completely. He walked out of his bathroom and took a seat on the bed, waiting for his parents to start talking.

James smiled from the armchair he was sitting on, "We need to tell you a bit about what sort of powers you've inherited."

Lily took a deep breath before continuing, "It's a mixture of different stories, but they all come down to one thing, the Potter family."

James smiled at Lily, "It was thousands of years ago, a young Potter called Christopher was visited by one of the Greek Gods in his sleep. His name was Morpheus, the God of dreams. Morpheus showed Christopher two dreams, one where the Potters succeeded in everything they did, and one where the failed all the time. Christopher was worried and the next day he told his father, Julian Potter. He decided to take the measures to protect Potter Manor and began to form enchantments and wards. This is why Potter Manor is so well protected. Christopher's dream also contained a prophecy saying that a Potter would fall in love with a powerful witch who would bring them almost all the protection they needed. The Potters didn't understand because they'd never had their children married to any Muggle. This prophecy was passed on for generations, and each time the Potters lived in hope that the prophecy would be fulfilled. It wasn't, until years later."

Harry's brow furrowed, "How?"

Lily continued, "This takes us to another story now. Gryffindor and Slytherin's fight is known now to everyone, but many people don't know that the four founders were actually best friends. Tired of the fights, Rowena and Helga came up with a plan to reunite the two friends. Most people also don't know that Gryffindor had a child called Elizabeth, so they decided to betroth her to Salazar's son Flint. Salazar was married to a woman named Claudia. When the children were told, Flint was ecstatic, however Elizabeth was not. She was in love with someone else. His name was Neale Potter. She ended up running away from her home and they eloped and had a boy named Daniel. Flint was enraged and the feud between the founders was put to end when Helga accidently died in one of the duels. Salazar and Godric decided to call a truce, but Flint had other ideas. He began to search for the Potters. Elizabeth and Neale heard what was happening and they ran to the same cottage, your father and I had gone to, to hide from Voldemort. Flint was so distraught that he went insane looking for them and eventually, killed himself. Daniel grew older and one day he was in the forest when he saw a woman. She was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. She was wearing a long white lace dress, had red hair and had a wreath of blue roses, freesia and spray carnations. It was love at first sight and little did he know that she was the most powerful witch in existence."

James grinned as he saw the awed look on Harry's face, "Her name was Demetria. She was the daughter of Amaethon, Welsh God of Agriculture and Master of Magic, and Caillech, the Goddess of Weather, Earth, Sky, Seasons, Moon and Sun. She had been brought up by the Gods and Goddesses and when she was born, she had been given gifts by them."

"What do you mean by gifts? Like presents?" Harry asked.

Lily shook her head, "Something more than that. They gave her power. She received the powers of

telekinesis, telepathy, empathy, clairvoyance, element control, the powers of healing and photokinesis. She also had inherited the powers of magic, which made her a witch, but she was a different kind of witch, an Inferno."

"Wow," Harry breathed.

Lily nodded, "But there is a little more."

Harry grinned, "More?"

James continued, "Daniel and Demetria got married and had three children, two girls and a boy. The powers were inherited, the girls became Infernos and the boy got a part of the power, but Demetria didn't just want to keep it in among the Potters, she wanted to give it to those who would use it to protect people. But she wanted just one exception, who would get all of the power she had. She told her father to give it to the one person who was not only destined to be a Potter and one who had the makings of a very powerful witch, the one who was most like herself."

"Was that person Mum?" Harry asked.

Lily shook her head, "No, we have an idea of who it is, but we can't tell you because you have to fall in love with her yourself."

Harry shook his head, "What?"

"It was another prophecy. The most powerful Potter will fall in love with a reincarnation of Demetria," James told him.

"Who is the most powerful Potter?"

Lily shook her head at her son's cluelessness, "You are, sweetheart."

Harry's eyes bugged out of his head. "What?"

"We're going to be working on those powers soon, okay?" James asked.

Harry nodded, unable to speak.

Lily smiled at her son, "Now, how about you clean up properly, have some breakfast and then entertain our guests?"

Harry nodded again and hugged them both, "Sounds good."

Harry and Ron were sitting on the edge of the pool, in their trunks, Harry smiled as Hermione entered the room. Ron's mouth fell open and Harry bit his lip to keep from laughing. She was wearing a red bikini, her hair held back in a loose French braid, a soft smile on her face, her cheeks slightly pink.

"Close your mouth, mate," Harry grinned. "You'll attract flies."

Ron glared at Harry, before turning his attention back to Hermione. She was beautiful, she always had been, but he was now seeing a different angle, and, boy, had he been caught off guard.

Harry's smirk dropped when Ginny entered the room. She was wearing a caramel coloured swimsuit, her eyes glinting with excitement. Her hair was out in soft waves and swayed gently as she walked. Harry's heart thudded and his eyes widened as she wiggled her eyebrows at him and gave him a cheeky smile. She walked towards them with Hermione, both of them secretly proud that they had gotten such a reaction.

There was a short, awkward pause and deciding to break it, Harry got in the pool and grinned at his friends, "So, are you guys coming?"

Hermione, Ginny and Ron jumped in, creating a loud splash.

"Where are Fred and George?" Hermione asked, "I would have thought that they love to muck around in the pool."

"Oh, they do," Ginny replied. "They're working on some of their inventions."

Ron cocked his head to the side slightly, "They've been making a lot of them recently. I wonder where they got the money."

Hermione pursed her lips and looked in Harry's direction, grinning when she saw him squirm. "I think Harry knows."

Harry glared at her, "Not really. I mean, I can guess. I...They probably made lots of money selling their inventions last year."

Ginny nodded, and put a hand on Harry's shoulder, "You're a terrible liar, Harry. You gave them your Triwizard winnings, didn't you?"

Harry nodded and his eyes got bigger when Ginny kissed his cheek, "Thank you, Harry. I think that's just what they needed. I know it meant a lot to them."

Ron threw a beach ball at Harry, "As much as I'm enjoying this, I think we should have a game."

Hermione grinned at Ron, "Boys versus girls?"

Harry and Ron exchanged an amused glance. Harry smiled at the girls, "Are you sure? I mean, I know you're great at practically everything, but this is sports. It's different."

Ginny quirked her eyebrow, "And you don't think we'd be able to beat you?"

Ron shook his head, "No."

Hermione nodded, "You're about to eat those words."

* * *

Harry and Ron rolled their eyes as Hermione and Ginny squealed excitedly.

"Yeah, yeah. We get it, you won," Ron grumbled.

"All three times," Ginny chimed in.

Hermione giggled, "So, who wants lunch?"

Harry smiled, "Yeah, it should be ready now. We should change and meet at the dining room. C'mon, Ron, stop moping."

The boys raced upstairs, Ron still slightly disgruntled. They changed quickly, rather hungry after the fun and games and hurried downstairs, surprised to see the girls, sitting there waiting for them.

Daisy shook her head, "You children is having too late of a lunch. The rest of the family ate ages ago. Daisy and Dotty was about to get you, but Sirius said something about youngsters and their need of fun. Those boys never grow up."

She placed their plates in front of them and they all jumped as the dining room door flew open. James stood in the doorway, Sirius, Remus and Lily behind him.

"Dad? What's wrong?" Harry asked alarmed at James's thunderous expression.

"I'm going to fucking kill Fudge," James said, gritting his teeth.

Sirius grimaced and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.

Hermione sighed, "What did he do now?"

Remus frowned, "He seems to think that it'll be better if Harry doesn't go back to Hogwarts."

Ginny and Ron's eyes widened, as Hermione's mouth dropped open. Harry stood up, "Wait...WHAT?"

Lily rubbed her son's back soothingly, "We're not going to let this happen, sweetheart, calm down."

Ginny shook her head, "Why?"

James turned to her, "Because of what happened in June."

Ron looked at James, "So he doesn't believe Harry, we get that. But isn't this taking it a little too far?"

Lily nodded, "Way too far, Ron, and he won't be getting away with this. Dumbledore's the headmaster, he gets the final word. He won't let you get kicked out of Hogwarts. You have nothing to worry about. James was just royally pissed off because he just got the letter."

Sirius's mouth curled into a mocking grin, "Language Lily."

Remus rolled his eyes, "Shut up, Padfoot. You'll have to attend a trial and then they're going to decide. To be honest, Fudge has no reason; he's going to look like a prat."

They began to head out, "Eat up, kids, and don't stress about this. Dumbledore won't let anything happen to you, Harry, especially to your education."

Hermione turned to Harry and nodded, "Listen to your mum, Harry. Everything is going to be fine."

Ron agreed, "Yeah. No one's going to let Fudge do this."

Ginny squeezed Harry's hand, "Harry, you'd mentioned you wanted to talk to us about something."

Daisy smiled as she entered the room, taking their plates, "Off you go, kids."

Harry nodded, glad that someone had changed the subject. "Let's go to the study. I'll tell you there."

**A/N: So there you go :) Chapter 27...I hope you liked the explanation about the powers and stuff. I really did try my best with it. I want to apologise to the reviewers who had to wait for a while to get their teaser, these few weeks have been really busy. Anyway, what were your thoughts on the chapter? Let me know :) Those who do will get teasers...;)**

**Love,**

**Ishani  
**


	28. Chapter 28:A Trial And A Crush

**A/N: Hello there. *chuckles nervously* Remember me?...I know, I haven't updated in 5 months and that isn't forgivable. It's just that everything in life kind of took a bad turn and with tests and other problems, writing and updating seemed impossible. I would have updated if I'd had the chance to write, but I couldn't do that either. Anyway, thank you everyone for your support-the alerts, the favorites and the reviews. It means so so much! I also apologise for not having replied to the reviews, but I didn't check my email so often either. I have a few more things to say, but fore now I'll let you read. Sorry once again, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Meet you at the bottom :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...however much I wish otherwise.**

Chapter 28: A Trial and a Crush

Hermione, Ron and Ginny sat there listening to Harry tell them about his Animagus forms. He told them that he had asked his parents if he could learn how to be one, and when he had taken the potion, he'd seen four forms, and that he had mastered two of them and showed them the phoenix and the owl.

Ginny stood up and stroked the feathers of the phoenix, which was now perched on Ron's shoulder. The red and gold plumage was incredible and his green eyes twinkled as he lifted Ron and began to fly him around the room.

Harry dropped Ron gently on a chair and changed back.

"That was amazing!" Ron cried, exhilarated.

Harry laughed, "I'm glad you liked it."

Hermione cocked her head to the side, "So you can become more than one form?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah. And before you ask, I am going to register one of them. Probably the wolf."

"Can we try it too?" Ginny asked.

Harry smiled, "Definitely. I'll ask Mum to make the potion again. Now I need to tell you something else. I just found out today, but I need you to promise me that you won't tell anyone."

Harry grinned as they agreed and told them the stories that he had heard that morning. Ginny's mouth formed a perfect 'O' and Harry couldn't help but stare at her perfectly plump, pink lips that were just waiting to be kissed...

"Holy shit!" Ron exclaimed, awestruck. Harry snapped out of his trance as Ron slapped him on his back, "That's amazing, mate!"

"So you're the most powerful Potter?" Ginny asked

"Supposedly, yes," Harry replied.

"I don't find that hard to believe. I mean, you've escaped the clutches of You-Know-Who so many times, and he's the most powerful dark wizard of all time," Hermione said, Ron nodding in agreement.

Then Ron grinned, "What was that thing about the reincarnation?"

Harry blushed, "Uh, yeah. There'll be one witch who is so powerful, that all of Demetria's powers will be gifted to her. She's destined to be with me, but I don't know. It sounds very fairytale-ish."

Ginny quirked an eyebrow, "You don't think it'll happen?"

Harry shook his head and Ron shrugged, "Maybe that's a part of the magic? It's supposed to happen unexpectedly, isn't it?"

Hermione smiled at that, "I agree with Ron. I think that's exactly right."

"So, does this mean that you'll be more powerful than Voldemort?" Ginny asked hopefully.

"I think this means I might be. That I have the potential to be, at least, but the trick to tapping into that power would be through harnessing it, and my parents said that I'd be having lessons soon." Harry nodded. Then he looked out the window. "Who's up for a game of Quidditch?"

* * *

Harry stared at Ginny as she got off her broom wondering exactly what was wrong with him. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, her cheeks flushed from flying and her eyes sparkling from the excitement. He watched her try to convince Hermione to fly too, but Harry knew that was useless. Ron told Hermione to walk with him and Harry bit back a laugh as he saw the way Ron's hand was twitching as they walked.

He shook his head and walked up behind Ginny, who was standing, twirling a loose lock of her hair and staring up at the sky where Fred and George were doing loop-de-loops on their brooms. He inched closer to her and moved his mouth near her ear, his brain going fuzzy as the smell of sweet flowers hit him. Harry shook his head again, clearing his thoughts and whispered in her ear..."Boo!"

Ginny jumped almost a foot in the air. She clutched at her chest, feeling her heart beat quicken. "Merlin, Harry! What was that for?"

Harry shrugged, watching her hair fall, framing her face as she let it free. "I thought it would be funny."

Ginny shook her head, "I bet you did! I swear you become more like my brothers every day!"

Harry grinned, "Sorry."

Ginny pursed her lips and then began to giggle, "Yeah, right. You sound incredibly apologetic."

Harry laughed, "Ok, so I'm not sorry, but admit it, it was funny."

Ginny scowled, "It wasn't funny at all!" She started to speed-walk inside the house. Harry ran a little to catch up with her.

"Not even a little bit?" Harry nudged her with his elbow.

"No," Ginny replied and then sighed as she saw Harry's quirked eyebrow, "Alright. It was...slightly funny, but it was still mean!"

"Sirius would have been proud." Harry leant on the doorjamb.

Ginny nodded, "You're terrible." She laughed, kissed his cheek and ran up the stairs.

Harry grinned after her and turned into the living room, bumping right into Lily. She took one look at his expression and giggled, "Hmm, Harry. Will you promise me something?"

Harry's brow furrowed at the odd question, "Uhh, yeah."

"When you want to talk about the feelings that you're feeling, you'll come to me, ok?" Lily smiled.

Harry looked even more puzzled, "Ok, Mum."

Lily kissed his forehead and left the room. Harry frowned and flopped on the couch. His Mum was perceptive, he could give her that, and he nodded. _I'll definitely go to Mum_, Harry thought to himself, _when__ I figure out what these feelings are myself... and what exactly they mean._

* * *

Ginny collapsed on her bed with a soft sigh. Her eyes fluttered shut and she bit her lip softly as an emerald eyed boy with black hair floated into her mind. She didn't understand the feelings she was feeling, that _attraction. _It had never been that way with Michael. Ginny sat up and licked her lips as she walked to her dresser and picked up a hairbrush.

She'd broken up with Michael just before they had left school for the summer.

_Flashback_

_Ginny caught Michael's eye at dinner and saw he was beckoning to her. It was the second__ to__ last day of school, and Ginny had been so caught up with Harry, that she hadn't really paid much attention to him. She was wondering whether she__ really liked him that way._

_Shovelling__ down her food, Ginny rushed to Michael__,__ who sighed, "Hey__,__ Ginny. I think we need to talk."_

_Ginny agreed softly as they walked out of the Great Hall and turned into a more secluded area, "Me too."_

_Michael looked surprised, "Oh__,__ really? You can go first."_

"_I-I...Ok." Ginny took a deep breath, "Michael I think we should just be friends—"_

"_You do?" Michael sighed with relief, "I was thinking the same thing—"_

"_No__,__ Michael, just hear me out. I really like you but just as a friend.__.__.Wait. What?" Ginny looked up from her feet, having just r__egistered what Michael had said._

_Michael shrugged and took her hand in his, "Ginny, you're amazing, and you're such a great friend, but this relationship...It's not going to go anywhere. I love you, but I love you as a friend and this relationship is just__ to__o__ weird. It's like dating my sister."_

_Ginny smiled and nodded, "Friends?"_

_Michael nodded, "Friends."_

_End Flashback_

Ginny shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She remembered how she had felt when she had kissed Harry's cheek a short while ago. Her lips had tingled, then, when she had turned away, they felt as though they had been singed. Her mind was a frenzy of thoughts and suddenly she was imagining him and his lips on hers.

Gasping, Ginny pursed her lips wondering where on earth that had come from. She cocked her head to the side slightly, hoping that her crush wasn't back.

She closed her eyes slightly again, and she smiled as she saw memories of herself with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Her eyes snapped open as the other two became blurrier, and she only saw Harry. She had no idea what was wrong with her. Then she frowned as she realised he'd been acting differently today, he hadn't just been teasing her... it almost felt like he'd been _flirting._

Ginny didn't know if she was just imagining, but it was like he didn't view her as his best mate's little sister, and the feeling was nice, it gave her warmth. She jumped slightly when she heard a soft knock at the door and funnily, she didn't have to open it to know who it was.

Checking her reflection in the mirror, she smoothed her hair down nervously, "Come in."

* * *

Harry flicked through the channels and deciding there was nothing to watch. He looked out the window and pulled a hand through his already-tousled hair. Bored, he turned to walk outside the door and grinned as he heard the sounds of his best friends from the library. He stood at the door, watching them silently.

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, appalled as Ron's knight killed her rook, "That was totally barbaric!"

Ron grinned, "Thank you. It's your turn."

Hermione pouted, "That was the worst possible thing you could have done." Lost in thought, she bit her lip as she stared at the chess board oblivious to Ron's look of longing.

Harry shook his head and decided not to disturb them. He walked up the stairs and noticed Ginny's door was closed. He shrugged and frowned as he suddenly became nervous at the thought of knocking. He lifted his hand slowly, hesitantly, and knocked softly on the door. He shifted his weight from his left foot to his right and sighed in relief as he heard Ginny's voice.

Opening the door, Harry entered her room. She turned to face him, her cheeks were once again tinged pink and Harry thought that she too, looked nervous. Mentally, he shook the thoughts out of his head and proceeded to sit on her bed, grinning when Ginny joined him.

"What brings you here, Mr Potter?" Ginny asked, in a very McGonagall-like tone.

Harry laughed, "Nothing. I was bored and wanted to see if you were too."

"Ohh, I see. What are my brother and his future girlfriend doing?" Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"They're in the library, playing Wizard's Chess. I was standing at the door for two or three minutes, but they didn't notice me." Harry shook his head.

Ginny nodded, "Lost in their own world, I suppose." She said softly.

Harry looked up as she said that and his eyes caught hers. Her chocolate brown orbs were warm, like they were melting from an emotion that Harry couldn't quite name, but he felt it too. He leaned in and she did the same. A lock of her hair fell on her face and, gently, Harry moved to tuck it back behind her ear, then they both leaned in again, simultaneously, and then suddenly there was a soft cough from the door and the pair of them leapt apart.

Sirius stood at the door with a quirked eyebrow, an amused expression and slightly concerned eyes. "Am I interrupting something?"

Harry glared at his godfather and Ginny rolled her eyes, "Did you assume that you were going to?"

"Yes." Sirius nodded.

Ginny shrugged, "Then you just made an ass out of yourself."

Sirius scowled at Ginny, "Quite a smart mouth you've got there, young lady."

"Thank you," Ginny said smiling. Harry barked out a laugh and Ginny grinned as Sirius joined in.

"Alright, alright; enough. Harry, we need to talk to you for a little while," Sirius said.

"Ok. I'll talk to you later, Gin." Harry smiled at her as he left her room.

Sirius watched his godson closely as they climbed down the stairs.

"What's going on with you and Ginny, kiddo?" Sirius asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," Harry sighed.

They entered the living room and Harry saw his father, mother and uncle sitting there.

"Am I in trouble?" Harry asked nervously.

"Don't you have a guilty conscious?" Lily laughed, "Have you done anything that deserves a punishment?"

"No." Harry shook his head.

James grinned at his son, "Sit down, Sport. We want to talk to you about the trial."

Harry grimaced, "Ok."

Lily frowned, "Dumbledore tried to talk to Fudge again, but Fudge is being irrational. The trial is tomorrow."

Harry nodded, "Is that all?"

James shook his head, "We also wanted to talk to you about something else that we've noticed."

Harry raised his eyebrows, "Oh yeah? What?"

Sirius and Remus exchanged an amused look, "What's going on with you and Ginny?"

Harry's eyes widened, his cheeks turned pink and he looked away from his family, who looked as though they were going to start laughing, "N-nothing. Why?"

Lily smiled, "I don't know if you've realised it, Harry, but you've kind of been staring at her absentmindedly since the time she's been here. Do you have a crush on her?"

James turned to his son, waiting for his reply, already knowing the answer.

Harry who had just realised exactly what he had been feeling, nodded slightly, grimacing as his pink cheeks darkened a shade, "Yeah, I think so. But I think it's just one of those that you know... come and then go away. Even if it was more than a crush it wouldn't matter. She's dating Michael Corner."

Sirius clapped a hand on Harry's back, "Alright, don't put too much thought into it. I'm pretty sure she has feelings for you too."

Remus nodded, "Yeah, she had a crush on you some time ago, right?"

Harry rolled his eyes, "Yeah, in my second year. But she got over that."

James shook his head, "Well, you'll just have to wait and see."

Sirius shrugged and then nodded, "It'll work out. After all, I have been saying from the beginning, the Potters have always had a thing for redheads."

* * *

The next morning, Harry smiled at his friends as they wished him good luck and tried to convince him that Fudge was wrong. They Flooed into the Ministry of Magic and were greeted with stares, some welcoming, others full of hatred.

James and Lily's eyes darkened as they caught sight of Lucius Malfoy, who smirked at them and cast an awful glare at Harry, who returned the expression just as viciously. Sirius and Remus looked around, slightly distraught by the amount of Daily Prophet newspaper articles that were still encouraging people to believe that Dumbledore was lying.

As they entered the courtroom, they found Dumbledore and McGonagall seated there already. McGonagall gave Harry a soft smile and gestured that they sit down. As the courtroom filled with the people from the Ministry, Harry cast a nervous glance at his parents, who had the look of determination on their faces.

Fudge looked around the room, and with a satisfied smirk he began to talk, "Good morning everyone. We are here today for the hearing of Mr Harry James Potter, who has been spreading rumours about You-Know-Who being back. We believe that this will be a disruption to the calm working environment that is encouraged in Hogwarts and will threaten the safety of the other students."

James was about to stand up and object, but Lily held him down and Fudge continued, "We think that it would be better if he were...expelled."

Fudge let the word sink in and as he sat down, Dumbledore stood up, "Look here, Cornelius. While I am attempting to understand why you don't believe Harry and myself, I cannot believe that you would ruin a boy's education because of your fear of losing power. I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts and I refuse to let Harry Potter be expelled as he has done nothing wrong."

Fudge raised his eyebrows, "Oh? Please explain something to me, Albus, Cedric Diggory died in that maze. Sure, the boy says that You-Know-Who killed him, but no one was there with him. It's possible that he killed Cedric himself and then made these stories to attract attention."

"Are you accusing my son of murder?" James positively roared, his eyes flashing. His tone was incredulous. He winced as Lily tugged him back down and forced him to sit on his seat.

"James, for the love of Merlin, shut up!" Lily hissed. She turned to glare at Fudge. She took permission to speak from Dumbledore.

"Minister, I am sure there has been some sort of misunderstanding. My son has done nothing to permit or warrant this attack. No one would want something like this and no fool would make up a story like this to attract attention. Nevertheless, even if this was a made up story, which I can assure you, it isn't, how would that give you the right to expel him? If Voldemort isn't back, then what dangers are there that the students of Hogwarts are going to be exposed to? If you are expelling students for spreading so called "rumours", then why don't you stop people from spreading rumours about the things that are in the Daily Prophet about Dumbledore being a liar?" Lily asked with an angry stare.

Dumbledore smiled softly at Lily, "Thank you, Lily." He turned to the Minister, "If you really want to test Harry about Voldemort being back, why don't you give him a phial of Veritaserum and ask him? That way you can be sure that he isn't lying," Dumbledore challenged.

Fudge's face colour changed from pale to a fierce red, "I-I...Look, Dumbledore, we don't have time for that, and anyway, how can I be sure that you haven't given him something that will stop Veritaserum from working?"

Madam Bones, who was watching with a slightly angered expression, suddenly took charge of the situation, "If you would allow me to interrupt, Minister?"

Fudge nodded his approval and Madam Bones continued, "It seems as if this argument could go on forever, so I think it's best that we settle it right now. It appears that the accused may have been making up this rumour, but it is most likely that he hasn't. So those in favour of conviction please raise your hands."

Fudge's hand shot up in the air, followed by Percy Weasley, who received a dirty look from Harry, then a short toad-like woman who was almost covered in pink. In Harry's opinion, she looked like an over iced fairy cake. Harry counted a dozen hands.

Madam Bones nodded sharply, "Those in favour of clearing the accused of all charges?"

Harry held his breath as almost everyone (Madam Bones included) raised their hand. His eyes moved to see the expression on the Minister's face and he grinned in satisfaction as he saw it.

Cornelius Fudge sighed, a sour taste in his mouth, a bitter expression on his face, "Cleared of all charges."

The courtroom started emptying out and Harry let out a sigh of relief. He was going back to Hogwarts!

**A/N: Well looks like someone realised something huh? :P How was that then? Hope you liked it. Now for a few notices.**

**Firstly, there's a poll on my profile that has to do with when Ginny and Harry should get together, please vote because until I know, I can write much further. Chapter 29, I have already started so they won't get together then but you can decide between chapter 30 and 31, or even later if you'd like. Please vote.**

**Secondly, I want to respond to the anonymous reviews that I got for the last chapter because they were so supportive! Thank you so much, I really wish I could reply.**

**Someone-you-known: Thank you so much (although I'm 14 now LOL). I'm glad you think so and seriously, thank you, thank you, thank you! :) Sorry I wasn't able to update sooner. Hope you liked this chapter :)**

**I am number 4: Thank you for your support, it means so much, and I'm really glad you like this story :) **

**gin-gin 4eva: Thank you! I'm so glad you like it. Well, that's actually a very very common question. So this answer is also for any of my readers who've had doubts as to why Sirius was still thought of as guilty by those who knew Peter Pettigrew was the Secret Keeper. Well the reason is that all those people (Lily, James, Remus and Dumbledore) thought that Peter was too weak to even try to be in the League with Voldemort and that Sirius had convinced them to change the Secret Keeper to Peter so he could frame him after he had led Voldemort to Peter and had gotten the Dark Lord to torture the "secret" out of him. I hope that makes things clearer. Thanks a ton for your review!**

**sammy rupert: I'm so glad you like the story! They'll be getting together very soon, don't worry ;) Thanks for reviewing and sorry I was so late to update.**

**albus severus SNAPE: Thank you for reviewing and I'll try to get more description in then. How was this chapter in terms of the description? They will, never fear :D Thank you so much for your support!**

**trixR4kids869: I'm glad you love it! I'll try to get a new chapter up quicker next time! Thank you so much!**

**Finally, I read this amazing Harry Potter Fanfic, which actually has a Dramione pairing and is insanely adorable.**

**Don't Touch My Mudblood****_by _SkyeSloane: Okay, so I thought that being part Veela would be a damn good thing. But having that ****Mudblood** Granger for a mate has proved to be deplorably dangerous to **my** health. DM/HG COMPLETE

**Like I said, it's seriously incredible, and I'm not too big a fan of Dramione, but I loved it anyway.**

**Leave me a review and don't forget to vote on the poll. The futures of Harry, Ginny and this story depend on it :P Reviews get sneak peeks...**

**So sorry for the hugely late update once again, I hope it was satisfactory.**

**Love,**

**Ishani**


	29. Chapter 29:Harnessing Power

**A/N: Hello my absolutely wonderful readers. A quicker update this time :D I don't know if anyone's noticed but there are now over 300 reviews. Thank you so so so so (about a million more so's) much! A big box of sugar quills to everyone who has shown support for this story in any way :) I can't tell you how much it means to me to know that you like my work. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Also a massive round of applause *claps* for those of you who took the time to vote in the poll :) Well, I'll let you read now. A huge thank you once again. (I don't think I've said that enough).**

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, except for the stuff that I've added in...for example Arya and Iris :D**

Chapter 29: Harnessing Power

Harry Flooed back to Potter Manor, where the Weasleys, Hermione, and Dorea were waiting anxiously by the fireplace. As soon as the fireplace flashed green, Ginny and Hermione jumped up as Harry, James, Lily, Sirius and Remus dusted themselves off and took a seat. Everyone turned to Harry expectantly, slightly worried as they saw the downcast look on his face.

"Well?" Ginny demanded impatiently, "What happened?"

Harry shook his head and sighed, casting a sly wink to his parents and uncles, who were watching rather amused, "I have bad news. You've been stuck with me at Hogwarts for four years now, and each year I've gotten you in to trouble. Well, I'm really sorry, but you're going to have to put up with me for a while longer, because I've been cleared of all charges!" He exclaimed finally grinning as the looks of shock and horror turned to delight.

Hermione and Ginny launched themselves into Harry's arms for a hug, whilst Fred, George and Sirius started to whoop and holler. Harry smiled at Ron who smiled back and mouthed a triumphant, 'Told you it'll be alright.'

* * *

The days following the trial were full of joy. Harry, Hermione and the Weasley children spent their time playing Quidditch, swimming in both the indoor and the outdoor pools, playing board-games and just generally enjoying one another's company. However, Voldemort's inactivity was making Harry increasingly restless, not to mention the fact that people were going in and out of Potter Manor, having intense discussions that were sometimes very short. Watching his parents and uncles leave for meetings with the Order of the Phoenix also made Harry feel slightly left out of the loop. These awkward and irritating feelings made him antsy, angry and less enthusiastic about doing anything.

One morning, Harry was sleeping soundly, his blankets on the floor, completely oblivious to Lily and James who were watching him from his doorjamb of his room.

Lily smiled, slightly tearful, "My baby boy's growing up."

"Yeah," James sighed and stepped closer and prodded his son gently, "Wake up, kiddo, we have a day full of training to do."

Harry rubbed his eyes groggily, sitting up, "Whazzatime?"

"Nine-thirty. The Weasleys have gone to The Burrow to help Molly clean-up, and Dorea and Hermione are currently occupying the library." Lily smiled, "Get ready and meet us downstairs, ok? We'll have breakfast and then we'll get you training!" She kissed the top of his head, grabbed James's hand and pulled him out of the room.

Harry grinned as he got out of bed. He couldn't wait to start training! He'd been looking forward to starting ever since his parents had told him about his powers. He brushed and washed and ran down the stairs, two at a time. Daisy smiled as he bounded into the kitchen and took a seat at the table.

"Good Morning, Harry," Daisy chirped and lay down on the table a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him.

Harry shovelled some food in his mouth, "Fankoo Daisy."

Daisy scowled before pursing her lips as she tried not to smile, "Harry James Potter, you is disgusting, you is. Dirty habits, you children just never grow out of them! Such bad examples Sirius and James is setting for you." Muttering darkly, she left the room and Harry just smiled sheepishly at Dotty as he finished eating. Dotty picked up his plate and laughed as Harry rushed out of the room shouting a word of thanks.

* * *

"Alright then, what do I do?" Harry asked as he stood in front of James, Lily, Sirius and Remus.

"Well, we start from the very basics. That'll include a little practical and a little theory," Remus told him.

Sirius nodded, "Although we don't know much about it, we'll help with what we can."

James smiled, "So, first we'll tell you what magic is."

Harry raised his eyebrows, "Okay."

"Magic is a natural force, to us wizards and witches at least that allows us to override the normal laws of nature. Now in the olden times, Wizarding families would teach their children basic magic using the four elements: air, earth, fire and water. This basically allows you control over everything apart from, to a certain extent anyway, people," Lily explained.

"So, basically, they make you do the most with the least?" Harry asked, slightly uncertain and a little overwhelmed.

"Well, something like that, yeah," Sirius nodded. "We need to focus on you harnessing power. From what Lily told us you, have a shitload of it."

"But the problem is, although you have power, you still won't be able to do everything, like clairvoyance and telekinesis; but you'll definitely be able to heal and control elements," James told him.

Lily nodded, "Most Infernos don't get all the power either; it'll just be the one Inferno who, as the prophecy tells, is destined to be the most powerful and the one who will fall in love with you."

"Now, I think we should get started with the practical." Remus said grinning as Harry nodded eagerly.

"We start with wandless magic and the very first basic charm, levitation," James stated.

"Wingardium Leviosa?" Harry asked, smiling as it brought back memories of his first year at Hogwarts.

"Well, something like that, but it will be different. You'll actually _feel _yourself lifting the object. So let's start with something nice and easy," James explained, and placed an apple on the table. "Try levitating that."

Harry nodded hesitantly. He closed his eyes, trying to remember the basic wandless magic he had been taught as a child. He knew what it felt like to do wandless magic too, for example when he did his Animagus transformations; he always felt a hot, tingly sensation before any part of his body changed. As he focused on lifting the apple, his body suddenly felt lighter and full of warmth. His palms grew warmer and Harry grinned as he felt all the power radiating from him. He opened his eyes, which were now a brighter shade of green, with crackles of gold, and smiled as the apple hovered in the air.

"You feel it, don't you?" James asked.

Harry nodded, "How long did that take?"

"Only a few seconds," Sirius replied.

"Now put it down and try lifting Remus," Lily ordered, smiling proudly at her son.

Harry shrugged, "Okay." He grinned at his uncle, who grinned back.

This time Harry didn't close his eyes, but simply willed the air to lift Remus. Remus gasped as he was lifted off the ground in about half a second.

"This is the shizz!" Sirius shouted excitedly.

Remus grinned as Harry placed him back on the ground, "Good work, kiddo!"

Harry smiled at his uncle before turning to his parents, "I was controlling Air just then, wasn't I?"

Lily nodded, "Well, I wouldn't say controlling exactly, but for the purpose of understanding, I suppose yes."

"Now, try something slightly more advanced. How about the Disarming Charm? We know you're good with that spell. Disarm Padfoot," James told Harry.

"Alright. I just need to say the spell in my head, right?" Harry asked, nodding himself as he got three answering nods.

"You ready, Uncle Sirius?" Harry grinned.

"Bring it on, kid," Sirius replied with his wand raised.

Harry focused his attention on the wand, smiling internally as he felt the warmth spread over his body. Electric pulses were sent through his veins and his palms started tingling. _Expelliarmus! _Harry thought in his head and he smiled as the wand flew out of Sirius's hand and into the open hand of Lily.

"Ok, Sport, try your Animagus form now. The lion or the wolf, seeing as you mastered the birds," James said, encouragingly.

"You mean that these powers will help me master my Animagus forms quicker?" Harry asked with wonder.

James nodded, "That is exactly what I mean!"

Harry nodded and started with his left arm, willing it to change into the lion paw he imagined in his head. After a few minutes of him closing his eyes and concentrating, he felt a warm, tingly sensation, and to everyone's delight, all of a sudden, Harry's left arm had been replaced with a golden paw.

"Brilliant!" Remus and Sirius exclaimed in unison.

Harry grinned and turned his attention to his right arm. After a few minutes of nothing, Harry groaned and flopped on the couch. "This is exhausting."

Lily smiled and ruffled his hair, "That's only because you're not used to it."

James looked at his son and shrugged, "How about a five minute break? Then we can come back to Animagus forms."

Harry nodded and sighed. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

That evening, when everyone was back, they ate dinner before heading into the living room. Hermione smiled as she watched Arya and Iris play fight with Snuffles and Biscuits, whilst Crookshanks lay in the corner playing with a ball of cotton. Harry and Ron were playing Wizard's Chess. That night, Bill joined them too, having taken holiday. He was giving Harry tips and pointers discreetly. James, Sirius, Remus, Lily and the other adults were having a slightly more serious discussion about the Order. Fred and George were inventing more items for their joke shop and Ginny was sitting next to Hermione, reading the latest edition of Witch Weekly.

"Anything interesting in there?" Hermione asked, peering over her shoulder.

Ron looked up from the chess board, "Of course not. It's a chick magazine!"

"That's why you were reading this Summer's special edition last week, right?" Ginny asked, irritated.

Everyone looked up amused as Ron's ears turned red.

Fred grinned, "Pick your battles with people you at least stand a chance against, Ickle Ronnikins."

Muttering darkly, Ron returned his attention to his chess game, prodding his pawn into position unnecessarily, and with unneeded force.

Hermione giggled. She loved her family. She half froze when she realised that she felt more comfortable with her Wizarding family than she did with her parents. Funnily enough, she didn't find that hard to believe. James and Lily had practically adopted her as their child and she knew Harry thought of her as a sister. Ron, well Ron was a different story. She wondered if he'd ever like her the way she liked him. She looked at him and blushed when she saw him staring at her. It was in these moments that Hermione began to wonder if he did like her as something more than a friend. Then, she smirked as she saw Harry and Ginny catch each other's eyes, blush and quickly look away. They were so deeply in love with each other, and so damn clueless about it, that it was beyond funny.

She knew Harry had a crush on Ginny. Hermione was just praying he acted on it soon and asked her out. Hermione also knew that Ginny had never really gotten over her crush on Harry. Or maybe she had, but it was back and much more powerful than before. Nevertheless, Ginny had followed the advice Hermione had given her: _"act normal around Harry, loosen up and maybe date a few guys so he can see the real you"_, and it had worked like a charm. Secretly, Hermione thought that the soul-mate who had been prophesised for Harry was Ginny, and she hoped with all her might it was. They were perfect for each other. She remembered talking to Ginny about Harry after she'd broken up with Michael Corner.

_Flashback_

_Hermione looked across at Ginny, who was sitting cross-legged on her bed, having finished packing. As she neatly packed her clothes in her trunk, Hermione asked, "Why did you break up with Corner?"_

_Ginny shrugged, "Our relationship was far too platonic. In the beginning, I suppose there was a little bit of zing, a tiny spark, but…I don't know, nowadays, kissing him makes me feel like I'm kissing my brother. It would be like kissing Colin."_

_Hermione glanced up, amused, "Creevey?"_

"_Yeah," Ginny nodded, "He's a really good friend."_

"_And what about Harry?" Hermione asked._

_Ginny's eyes widened, "H-Harry? What about him?"_

"_Is there a little bit of zing, a tiny spark between you too?" Hermione giggled._

_Ginny blushed, "I have no idea what you're talking about."_

"_And just who are you trying to convince, me or yourself?"_

"_A bit of both, actually," Ginny muttered underneath her breath, turning redder when Hermione laughed._

"_Alright. Fine. Ok. There's something, but I don't know what," Ginny finally relented._

"_I'm not even going to bother saying I told you so," Hermione said in a sing-song voice, with a satisfied smirk as she closed her trunk._

_End of flashback._

She wondered who would have the guts to ask whom first. She shrugged mentally and turned her attention back to Witch Weekly's page of the latest scandals of the celebrities in the Wizarding world.

* * *

The next day, as all the children were sitting at the kitchen table eating their breakfast, an owl swooped in with their Hogwarts letters.

Fred groaned, "What a great way to start the morning! Being reminded that after the holidays, we have to go back to school."

George glared at the owl as it flew away, "I was hoping they'd forget to send the letters this year."

Hermione smiled, "Oh it's not that bad."

Fred shrugged, "Yeah we know but our business is far away from the likes of academic study, unless you count the minor charms needed to create the stuff we do."

Molly and Lily bustled into the kitchen, just as Hermione opened her letter with a shriek. "I'm a Prefect!"

"What a big surprise!" Harry smiled, "Congratulations 'Mione."

Lily gave Hermione a hug, "Well done, sweetheart."

Ginny looked at her book listing, "Not much difference from what you guys got last year, eh?" She then turned her attention to Ron, who had frozen, "What happened, Ron?"

Fred and George went to see what _had _happened and their expressions turned from normal to shocked, "No effing way!"

"What happened?" Harry asked urgently.

"I'm a…Prefect," Ron said slowly, sounding dazed.

"What?" Molly breathed, and Hermione rushed forward to see.

Ron turned to Harry, "I thought it would be you."

Sirius, James, Remus and Dorea joined the crowd, along with Arya and Iris. "What's this? A party?" Sirius asked.

"Well we should have one!" Molly, who was hugging Ron so hard, he'd turned red, replied "Ron and Hermione got their Prefect badges. Oh, Ronnie! Well _done!_"

"_Mum! _Let go." Ron struggled out of her grasp.

Harry was torn. For some reason, instead of being happy for his best mate, he felt slightly angry that Ron had received the badge instead of him. Turning to his parents, he asked, "You're not disappointed about me not being a Prefect, are you?"

Lily shook her head, "You dad wasn't a Prefect, and although I was, you're not exactly following my footsteps when it comes to staying out of trouble," she said with a grin.

James ruffled his hair and Sirius nodded, "In our group, Moony was the good one, he got the badge."

Remus smiled grimly, "I think Dumbledore hoped I'd be able to hold these two back from their mischief. I'm sorry to say, I failed miserably. Anyway, congratulations, Ron and Hermione!"

"Yeah, well done, mate!" Harry smiled at Ron, who relaxed and let himself be mollycoddled.

"So what books do you need this year?" Lily asked Harry.

He looked down at his list. There were only three new ones.

_**The Standard Book of Spells Grade Five**_**by Miranda Goshawk****  
**_**Defensive Theory**_**by Wilbert Slinkhard****  
**_**Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms **_**by Anna Sheldon**

"Well, how about we go to Diagon Alley this weekend? Then we can get a present for Ron! Oh, Little Ronnie, a Prefect! That's everyone in the family! You wait till I tell your father, Charlie and Bill!" Molly gushed.

"What the hell are we, next-door neighbours?" George asked, mock outraged.

Everyone laughed, but they all turned as they heard a soft knock at the kitchen door. A woman stood there. She had black hair, deep sapphire blue eyes, a cute button nose and pink lips. Her skin was fair and she had a hint of blush on her cheeks. She stood there wearing a patterned pink and cream, watercolour floral dress that came down, just above her knees, white wedge heels and a brown satchel. She also wore a half amused, half nervous expression that Sirius found extremely adorable.

He looked at her appraisingly, "Well, hello there. Can I help you?"

Her mouth twitched, "I'm not too sure. I wanted to deliver some papers for the Order, I was going to go to the Headquarters, but Dumbledore told me there would be no one there and said that I should come here instead."

Lily nodded, "Dumbledore did say you'd be coming. You're Aurora, right? Aurora Reed?"

Aurora smiled, "Yeah, that's me."

"Alright, well, come with me. I'm Lily, by the way, and these lovely people are James, Remus, Sirius, Dorea, Molly, Fred, George, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Arya and Iris," Lily introduced pointing to each one in turn.

Aurora waved, "Hi."

"Hi!" Everyone chorused.

Lily led her out of the kitchen and Sirius let out a wolf-whistle. "She's hot!"

James grinned, "You like her?"

Sirius just nodded, "Oh yeah."

Ginny caught Hermione's gaze and they rolled their eyes in unison, the same thought running through their heads. _Men!_

* * *

The next few days passed pretty uneventfully apart from the trip to Diagon Alley. Ron got a new Cleansweep Seven, much to his delight. Much to Harry and Ginny's embarrassment, however, they were caught holding hands, leaning into each other for another almost kiss, when all of a sudden Hermione and Sirius walked behind them, and Ginny and Harry were forced to jump apart.

Harry paced in his room as he thought about it, it seemed that whenever he made up his mind to either tell Ginny that he liked her, or almost-kiss her, there was an interruption. There were very few days left till the end of the holidays -only two weeks. Harry was fully determined to ask her out now that he had realised that this crush wasn't the "easy come, easy go" kind.

He sank down on his bed, glancing at the Quaffle-shaped clock that hung on the wall in his room: twelve-thirty in the morning. He tossed and turned, trying to close his thoughts off, trying to take Ginny out of his head for one second, just so he could sleep... But it didn't work. _Boy, do I have it bad. _Harry thought. Sighing, he got out of bed and headed down to the kitchen, where he bumped into none other than a pyjama-clad Ginny, who looked beyond startled to see him.

"Hi, Harry," she said with a coy smile.

Harry smiled a crooked smile at her, "Hey, Ginny. You couldn't sleep either, huh?"

And Ginny's breath hitched, unable to form words, she nodded, "Mhm." She recovered slightly and asked, "Do you want some hot chocolate? I was just going to make some."

Harry shrugged, "Yeah, sure, since you're making it. Need any help?"

Ginny smiled, _such a gentleman, _she thought fondly, "No thanks."

They were both silent for a few minutes, Ginny stirring both the hot chocolates. Harry took this time to sort out his feelings calmly, or at least attempt to. She looked amazing. Her hair was tied up in a loose pony tail. She wore a white tank top and pale pink pyjama bottoms that had red, dark pink and white hearts on it. Gazing at her, Harry knew one thing for certain: It wasn't just a crush; it wasn't going to go away. It was a strong; powerful feeling of… Harry wasn't sure what to name the emotion. It wasn't love, not yet anyway. They had a connection, like they were soul-mates, something more than just lovers. He felt his stomach knotting up as he thought about it. _Soul-mates. _Harry wondered if she felt the same. The magnetic _pull, _the sharp jolt he felt when they were apart, the tingly feeling he got when they touched.

He had already made his mind up: he was going to ask her out. The question was, _how? _Not to mention the fact that she was still dating Corner. But she hadn't mentioned him, and they hadn't been writing to each other much as far as he knew. Just as he was deciding he'd ask her about it, Ginny snapped her fingers in front of Harry's face.

"Earth to Harry," Ginny said, smiling as she handed him his hot chocolate.

* * *

Ginny sighed softly as she made the hot chocolate. She could practically feel his eyes on her. They made her body warmer, and she could feel her blush getting more and more prominent. She didn't quite understand how that slight crush that she had, towards the end of her third year could have become so big. It wasn't just a crush anymore. It was something different, and whatever it was, it gave her warm, fuzzy tingles that started from the tip of her toes and spread warmth all over her body. It made her feel good. Ginny thought about how he looked. His hair, sleep-tousled, or maybe it was tousled from tossing and turning because he couldn't sleep? Either way, it looked good. His emerald green eyes were captivating. Even in the middle of the night, they didn't fail to make her heart race. He was wearing dark green pyjama bottoms, with broomsticks on them and a black tee. How he could make something so simple look so _good _was beyond her. But above all, he wore the one accessory that always made Ginny's heart skip a beat: His crooked smile.

She turned, having finished making the hot chocolate, to give some to Harry, who had a blank expression on his face, as though he was thinking very deeply about something. She placed her cup down on the kitchen table and snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"Earth to Harry," she said as she gave him his cup.

"Thanks, Gin!" Harry sipped it, and grinned as he felt the warm liquid ooze trickle down his throat, "This is delicious."

Ginny grinned as she sipped hers, "Practice makes perfect. After what happened in my first year, every time I'd have a nightmare or just generally when I wouldn't be able to sleep, I'd have a hot chocolate. I really should thank Professor Dumbledore for that. Works like a charm."

Harry looked at her concerned, "You didn't have a nightmare just now, did you?"

"Oh no. I just couldn't sleep."

They sat there, in a contented silence for a while, before Harry finally gathered his courage to ask her.

"I've been meaning to ask, how are things with you and Corner?"

Ginny looked surprised, "Oh we broke up."

Harry tried his best not to look happy about that, "Oh, erm…Why?"

Ginny shrugged, "The relationship was far too platonic, for both of us. It was kind of a mutual decision when we broke it off."

Harry nodded, "Oh."

Ginny smiled realising he wasn't sure what to say. She finished the last drop of her hot chocolate and shook her head as Harry pushed his empty cup in to her hand, "You lazy bum."

Harry grinned and poked her where he knew she was ticklish. "It runs in the family."

Ginny prevented herself from squealing as she tried to control her heartbeat which had increased very quickly, "You're lucky I love you, otherwise you'd have been bat-bogeyed by now."

Harry blushed slightly at the 'I love you.' "You wouldn't dare."

Ginny scowled at him playfully, "Try me."

Ginny couldn't believe this. This conversation had gone from friendly to flirtatious and at the moment she was praying to whatever higher power there was that he would just drop the gentlemanly act and kiss her. But she knew he wouldn't, and as they climbed up the stairs, she felt herself getting more and more attracted to him. The air almost seemed to crackle with electricity. They reached the landing and Harry walked her to her room.

"Good night, Gin," he said, and kissed her cheek.

As he walked away, Ginny raised a hand and placed it on the cheek he'd kissed, trying to not squeal. As she snapped out of her lovesick gaze, she shook her head; _you're acting like a lovesick teenager, _she thought to herself. But then she wondered, _maybe I am one_.

**A/N: So, what did you think? I have a few things to tell you now. So scroll down...**

**Firstly I just want to apologise in advance if I don't update enough (again). As I've explained I'm on holiday right now, but there's only a few days left now (boooh) and that means I won't be able to write too much because I'm going into Grade 10 and I have my board exams so it'll pretty much be study, study, study for me, no matter how much I wish it was write, write, write. So yeah, I'm really really really sorry.**

**Secondly, huge hugs to those of you who've been reviewing, I really cannot thank you enough.**

**Thirdly, I have a recommendation for some fanfics that I've been reading. There's this author called jlmill9, who is writing about Harry and his friends going back into the past to read the Harry Potter books with Lily, James, Remus, Sirius, Alice and Frank. She's done the entire series and then she's written a story called One Choice To Make A Difference, where James, Lily, Remus etc can remember one thing that might help them survive. It's seriously amazing. I think you should read it.**

**Well that's all for now ladies and gentlemen. I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can, and I think you can all guess what's going to happen. *excited squeal*. So leave a review if you want a sneak peek ;)**

**Love, **

**Ishani.**


	30. Chapter 30:Question And Answer

**A/N: Quicker update this time :) Right, so school has started and Grade 10 is definitely no picnic. The amount of work we're getting everyday is astounding and I've been crazy busy, however with Independence Day tomorrow and it being a Sunday today, I finally had the time to upload the chapter that I've been so eager to post :D Thank you soo much for all the support and all the reviews I've been getting. They make me smile! :D I won't say anything else for now, I'll just let you read ;) Meet you at the bottom.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 30: Question and Answer

The next day, when Harry woke up, he knew what he had to do. He had to "woo" Ginny. Now that she was single and he had this feeling that she liked him too. Otherwise, why would she lean in for all of those almost-kisses? He looked at himself in the mirror and sighed as he nervously tried to tame his hair, remembering the "talk" he'd had with the Marauders last summer.

"_Asking a girl out definitely isn't easy,"_

_Remus nodded in agreement, "Especially if you're shy or if this is your first crush. So you have to act somewhat normal."_

"_Girls normally tend to travel in groups or packs. They're kind of predictable that way, so the most nerve-wracking thing is to ask to talk to the girl alone. Once you've done that, start a conversation," Sirius said._

"_About what?" Harry asked, worried._

_James smiled at his son's tense expression, "Say hello or ask her a question, or give her a compliment. If you know her quite well, then you could talk about something you know she likes."_

"_Then, when the conversation flows, ask her out." Remus continued._

Harry thought about this and decided that it wouldn't work. Ginny was more special and she meant more to him than Cho had. _I'll compliment her; well, I'll woo her for a few days and then, when the time is right, I'll ask her out. _He thought to himself. This seemed like a pretty good plan. _And what could possibly go wrong anyway? _Then he gulped. Those were the famous last words.

* * *

That afternoon, Ron, Harry, Fred and George were playing Exploding Snap in the library; Hermione had her nose in a book, as expected, but Ginny was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Ginny?" Fred asked looking at Hermione.

When she didn't look up, the four boys yelled, "HERMIONE!"

Hermione looked up, startled, "What's the matter? You didn't have to yell!"

"We asked nicely, but you didn't reply," George defended.

"Oh, sorry," Hermione replied as a pink hue appeared on her cheeks.

"Anyway, where's Ginny?" Fred repeated the question.

Hermione smiled, "She's in her room. She had a bit of a late start this morning. She told me she'd taken a trip down to the kitchen late last night for a cup of hot chocolate when she couldn't sleep." She winked at Harry.

"Why do girls take so much time to get ready?" Ron grumbled, for reasons no one knew.

"Ronald, we like to look presentable, as opposed to…well looking like you do," Hermione retorted.

George, Fred and Harry chortled at the look of surprise on Ron's face. Hermione smiled and snapped her book shut. She walked over to him and patted his cheek before saying, "The truth hurts, Ron." And then she walked out leaving Ron gaping as he stared after her.

"The women we know are definitely a force to be reckoned with," Harry said, shaking his head, grinning when the other three agreed fervently.

When Hermione came back, she was accompanied by Ginny. One look at her and Harry had to bite his cheek to keep him from gasping. She looked brilliant. She was wearing an emerald green tank top with dark blue denim shorts. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun and she wore black Converses.

They took a seat by the bookshelves and frowned as the saw Harry and Ron staring at them. Fred and George, however, had gotten bored of the game and decided to excuse themselves.

Seeing they'd gone, Hermione lifted her head out of the book she and Ginny were reading, "Harry, when are we going to start with the Animagus forms?"

Harry smiled at her, "Well, I talked to my Mum about that already. She's getting the potion ready right now. We'll be able to work on them when it's done."

Ginny beamed at him, "Great!"

Harry smiled at her and his smile widened as she blushed. Hermione noticed them and giggled. _Priceless, _she thought shaking her head, _absolutely priceless._

Harry had been right, Lily had made the potion, and the very next day, Ron, Ginny and Hermione got to work. When they drank the potion, each of them saw an animal, apart from Ginny, who, to everyone's surprise, saw three. Lily's eyes widened. Hermione saw an eagle, Ron saw a horse and Ginny saw a doe, a fox and a raven.

Ginny was shocked as well, "How is it that I can produce more than one?"

Hermione smiled at her, "Well, Harry can as well, right? Maybe it's something to do with You-Know-Who."

Harry nodded, "Maybe he passed some other powers that we took unknowingly, which are allowing us to have more forms?"

Ginny shrugged, "It makes sense."

Lily smiled, "So, do you guys want to start?"

The three children nodded and she grinned, "Alright, you start with your arms, left to right, then legs, again left to right, then torso and then your head."

"Got it," Ron said.

They kept trying and this became a routine until the very last day. They tried for two hours every day and generally they'd end up exhausted and frustrated that they got no change, and even more so when Harry, Lily and the Marauders laughed at them.

"It's going to take a lot longer than four or five days, kids," Sirius said laughing at their impatience.

Hermione and Ginny managed to change the colour of their skin. Ginny was trying the raven first and Harry was convinced birds were easier. Lily smiled at them and grinned at Ginny as she kept willing her arm to change. Lily's grin faded when a blue light surrounded the younger witch. James saw it too and he exchanged an excited glance with his wife; Ginny was an Inferno!

* * *

Ginny sat in the garden on the last Tuesday before they headed back to school. It was just getting dark and Ginny could see stars appearing. She sighed as she looked at the sky. Jumping when she heard her name being called, she turned to see Harry walking towards her.

"Hi, Harry," Ginny smiled.

"What are you doing here all alone?" Harry asked surprised.

Ginny shrugged, "Just thinking." _About you, _she thought.

"Where are Ron and Hermione?" Harry questioned.

Ginny felt down-heartened, she thought that he was going to sit with her. She thought he liked her, as something more than a friend or little sister. But then again, maybe she was wrong about that? She shook the thoughts out of her head as she replied, "Library. Hermione's determined to beat Ron at Wizard's Chess."

Harry grinned, "Oh, alright well…Mind if I join you?"

Ginny was surprised, "Of course not."

There was a comfortable silence, both of them gazing up at the stars.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Ginny said, still looking up.

"Yes, you are," Harry said softly and then cleared his throat, "Err…I mean, yeah, it's so beautiful."

Ginny smiled at him, blushing brightly, "Thank you, Harry."

He winked, "Truth's the truth. I'd be a fool if I didn't notice it."

Ginny didn't know what to say. Her heart was beating so erratically, and so fast, that she was afraid Harry could hear it. Her eyes were wide and glistening with tears. A lock of hair slipped free from her bun and Harry pushed it behind her ear gently. Still gazing deep into her eyes, he smiled at her. "I really like you, Ginny."

Ginny nodded, "I really like you too."

"HARRY, GINNY, DINNERTIME!" Sirius shouted from the dining room.

Harry looked at her apologetically. "I guess we have to go."

Ginny nodded, "We'll talk tomorrow, ok?"

"Whenever you want, Gin," Harry smiled and they headed in for dinner together.

Hermione and Lily exchanged excited glances. They knew what was going on, they only hoped Harry and Ginny announced it when they became a couple, so they could celebrate.

* * *

The next day James and Lily found Ginny sitting in the library before breakfast.

"Ginny, sweetheart, can we talk to you please?" Lily asked.

"Of course! Is everything ok?" Ginny said, worried slightly.

James laughed at her expression, "Everything's fine, but we need to tell you something important, about a certain power that you have. We talked to Dumbledore, but he said that seeing as Lily has the same power, we should."

Ginny sat up straighter, "Power?" she asked slightly shocked.

Lily nodded, "I'm sure Harry already told you, possibly briefly about me being an Inferno and how that power, or a part of it, passed to him."

Ginny nodded.

"It just so happens, that you are an Inferno too," James grinned at her.

"Me?" Ginny breathed, astounded, "How is that possible?"

"Well it's quite a long story, but breakfast isn't for another hour or so. Would you like to hear it?" Lily asked.

Ginny nodded eagerly, "Of course!"

James nodded, "Well, I'll help tell you the story and then I'll leave you two Infernos alone so you can ask all the questions you want, alright, Gin?"

Ginny smiled, "Sounds good."

Lily grinned, "Well it started years ago, thousands of years ago, when a young Potter named Christopher was visited in his sleep by one of the Greek gods. His name was Morpheus. Now, in mythology, Greek gods were all given a purpose and Morpheus was the god of dreams. He showed Christopher two dreams. One of them was full of triumph and happiness, where the Potters succeeded in everything they did; but the other was darker, full of sorrow and sadness, in which the Potters failed all the time. Worried, Christopher told his father, Julian Potter, who then took the liberty of performing the charms, enchantments and wards on Potter Manor which make it virtually undetectable on any map. It's just as safe and protected as Hogwarts. Christopher's dream also had a prophecy that stated that a Potter would fall in love with a powerful witch who would bring them the protection they required. Years passed, and the prophecy was handed down generation by generation. But it was never fulfilled, until a while later, which takes us to another story." Lily signalled with her head that James should continue.

He cleared his throat, "Well, as you know, the four founders were the greatest witches and wizards of their day. Known to everyone is the fight that Gryffindor and Slytherin had over the matter of Muggleborns attending Hogwarts, and even though Slytherin left the school, the four managed to keep in touch, not only because they were best friends, but because they were in relationships," James paused slightly as Ginny gasped, "Well, at least Godric and Rowena were. They had a child named Elizabeth and she was rumoured to be the most beautiful woman in the world. She had inherited her mother's brains, wit and charm, and her father's bravery and nerve. Now in order to put an end to their fights, and form an alliance of sorts, Slytherin and Gryffindor decided to betroth Elizabeth to Slytherin's son, Flint. Slytherin was married to a woman named Claudia. Flint was beyond delighted, but Elizabeth wasn't, as she was in love with someone else. His name was Neale Potter. As a result of the forced marriage, Elizabeth and Neale eloped and had a boy named Daniel.

"Flint was beyond mad and the fights between Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin escalated up until Helga was killed in one of their battles. The founders were utterly distraught and decided to call upon a truce, but Flint had other ideas. He wanted to hunt down the Potters. The Potters were told by none other than Slytherin himself, who really did adore Elizabeth and didn't want her to die. Therefore, they went into hiding, in Godric's Hollow, where Lily and I went into hiding from Voldemort. Completely distraught, Flint drove himself insane looking for them, and eventually he committed suicide. Naturally Daniel grew older and one day, when he was hunting in the forest he caught sight of a lady, who was the most beautiful woman that he'd ever seen. He fell in love with her at that moment and he didn't know then, but at that time, she was the most powerful with in existence."

"Merlin!" Ginny gasped, completely and utterly enthralled by the story, "Who was she?"

"Her name was Demetria and although her name isn't Welsh, she was the daughter of Amaethon, the Welsh God of Architecture and Master of Magic, and Caillech, the goddess of Weather, Earth, Sky, Seasons, Moon and Sun. This wasn't the only thing that made her powerful. She was not the only child of Amaethon; he had many mistresses, but they were all human. Caillech was the only goddess he had ever had a child with. Therefore the other gods and goddesses showered her with gifts. Not the normal gifts that you'd expect, though, they gave her powers," James explained.

"What kind of powers?" Ginny asked.

"That depended on the god or goddess giving it to her. For example, the powers she got were telekinesis, telepathy, empathy, clairvoyance, element control, powers of healing, magical powers and photo-kinesis. Element control she received naturally from her mother, and the magic she inherited from her father. The rest, however, were given by the other gods and goddesses. All these powers made her a different sort of witch, an Inferno." Lily grinned at the look of amazement on Ginny's face.

"Anyway, Demetria and Daniel did fall in love and they got married, and were blessed with three children, two girls and a boy. The girls became Infernos and they boy got some of the power, but Demetria didn't want the powers of Inferno to just stay within the Potters. The witches who receive it are the ones who have potential, a fire burning in them to make the world a better place. Ones who know they'll take a stand and fight for good over evil and if it came to it, to the death. However, she knew that since she was partially a goddess, she wouldn't die with Daniel, so she gave up all her powers to be passed on to the one individual who is best suited for them. She told her father, Amaethon, to bless the young witch with these powers when the time came. This witch is destined to fall in love with the most powerful Potter, who right now happens to be…" Lily paused, not in the least surprised when Ginny finished off for her, "Harry."

James nodded, "That's right."

Ginny cleared her throat, "Who is she?"

Lily shrugged, "No one knows yet. Anyway, we just wanted you to know. Now Harry has some powers to harness too, so we were having sessions weekly and they'll continue when he goes to school. We already talked to Molly and Arthur about you learning with him and they're happy to let you, if you're interested."

"I'd love to!" Ginny exclaimed.

James nodded, "Then it's settled. Now I'll leave you two Infernos to discuss if you need to. I'm going to go and wake everyone up."

"Nicely. You're going to go and wake everybody up nicely," Lily told him firmly, James nodded and walked away pouting.

Ginny laughed, "Lily, besides the powers, does being an Inferno make me different in any way towards other girls?"

Lily nodded, "Your body develops later, but when the development starts, you end up looking beyond gorgeous."

Ginny blushed and Lily smiled, "You've already started, and now your powers are becoming fiercer, that's why, when you were doing your Animagus transformations, you were surrounded by a light of blue. Another thing you need to remember is that you have immense strength and skill when it comes to spells and enchantments. This is good, but sometimes you'll need to exercise caution with whichever spell or enchantment you use for it can be too powerful."

Ginny nodded, "What about emotionally? Will I need to be careful with those too?"

"Oh yes! Your emotions are deeply connected with your powers, and in the height of an emotion; you may find that your powers suddenly overflow, like when you're very happy or very sad. Finally, when you're with your soul-mate, the one you're destined to be with, your other half, the emotions will over-flow and you won't just be connected emotionally and at times physically-" Ginny blushed- "but you'll have a much stronger, more deeper spiritual connection where you are completely in tune with your lover's emotions. For example, even if you're far away, if he gets hurt, you'll be able to feel the pain."

"Oh," Ginny said, slightly overwhelmed.

"Do you have any more questions?" Lily asked.

"No, I think you explained it all, thank you. When do our lessons start?" Ginny asked.

"The second weekend after you return to school."

"Alright! Can we go and have breakfast now, Lily? I'm _really _hungry!" Ginny moaned, rubbing her stomach.

"C'mon sweetheart, and let's hurry before the others finish everything up," Lily laughed.

* * *

Ginny cornered Harry when he was alone that afternoon. He was sitting in the living room, patting Biscuits on the head, whilst watching TV.

"Hey, Harry," she said timidly.

"Hi." Harry looked at her and his eyes widened. She looked _perfect. _She wore a cream tank top with a picture of a rose on it. A pink heart hung from her neck in a gold chain. Her legs looked like cream and she used that to her advantage once again, wearing dark denim shorts. Golden ballet pumps graced her feet and her hair was left loose in long waves.

"Can we talk now?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, sure!" Harry replied eagerly, switching off the television.

She sat down, and the silence became awkward. "What's happening between us, Harry?"

She was sitting across the room on the sofa. He got up and walked towards her. Plonking himself next to her, he took her hand, "Well, Ginny, to be honest it's complicated. From the beginning of this summer, I've started to notice you as something more as my best mate's little sister. At first I thought I was going mad, because I just hadn't seen you in that light before. That changed, though, and it was me realizing that you weren't that little girl I'd met in my second year. She'd grown older, become more beautiful than she had been and blossomed into someone that I really like."

"I didn't want to ask you out for three reasons. Firstly, I didn't want to ruin the friendship that we already have, then I thought you were still dating Corner, so I didn't want to ruin your relationship with him, and finally, well, your brothers wouldn't really let you go without a fight. But then I thought that all those times we'd been alone, you'd responded to me in a positive way, and there was always some sort of spark that I felt every time I touched you, or you touched me. I meant what I said the other night, Ginny, I really like you."

Ginny nodded, "I think I realised a while before you. I got over the crush I used to have on you in my first year, but then last year whenever you were around me, I began to feel nervous and the electricity and spark, it all came back. Hermione had advised me at the end of my first year, telling me to let go a little and date other guys so you can see the real me. Michael was amazing, and he's a great friend, it's just when I'm with you, I can feel the…_intensity_ and the electricity, when I was with him, there was nothing and it was too platonic. Like kissing a brother, but I've never thought of you as a brother and I guess Hermione's advice worked."

Harry nodded, "It did. Definitely."

Ginny gave him a brilliant smile, "Is that you're way of asking me out?"

"Is that your way of saying yes?" Harry challenged.

Ginny shook her head laughing, "I don't know," she teased, "It lacked something." And when Harry asked what, with a pout, she giggled and replied, "A question."

Harry was confused for a second and then he asked, whilst looking deep into her chocolate-brown eyes, "Ginny, will you be my girlfriend?"

Ginny kissed him on the cheek, "Of course!" Harry grinned fondly and tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear as he leaned down. Her brown eyes were like melting chocolate, and as he stared in them, he felt like he was getting lost. Then all of a sudden, his breath was warm on her cheeks as he trailed butterfly kisses along her jawline and tangled his fingers in her soft, silky hair.

Ginny bit back a moan as he kissed the left side of her mouth, her lips curving into a soft smile. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest as she locked her arms around his neck, moving them higher and higher until they got lost in his raven hair. Unable to control himself any longer, Harry captured her lips in a kiss. She tasted like a mixture of sweet and spicy, like a sultry infusion of chocolate and cinnamon. Her smell was intoxicating, all flowers and fruit and it made him slightly dizzy as he nibbled on her bottom lip.

Ginny was in seventh heaven. His lips glided so easily against hers, moving slowly, making it seem so effortless as if they were meant to be together. It filled her body with warmth from top to toe and the air around her seemed to crackle with electricity that made her fingers tingle. It had never been like this with Michael. She could _feel_ the connection with Harry and it was so intense that it made her melt into him further. He tasted like chocolates and spearmint and the taste tickled her taste-buds. It was such a thrilling experience, she felt as if she was soaring through the clouds.

Almost too soon he pulled back, and their eyes fluttered open. Brown eyes looked up, into his green ones and Ginny felt like she was losing herself in the depths of them. It was unlike any green she'd ever seen before. It was bright, yet dark, almost shining with an emotion she couldn't quite name. She blushed as he smiled and the only thoughts that ran through the both of their heads were _finally!_

* * *

Oblivious to the new couple, Lily, Sirius and Hermione had been watching the whole exchange with gleeful looks. Hermione was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, a hand over her mouth so that she wouldn't make any noise. Sirius was wiggling his eyebrows at Lily who looked beyond happy.

"They make such a cute couple! I wonder when they're going to tell everyone." Lily whispered as they watched Ginny and Harry talk about how and when they should tell the others, and unable to contain herself, Lily let out a squeal of delight.

Startled, Ginny and Harry looked up, and Ginny smiled as the three of them made their exit ungracefully, practically running from the doorway. "I think some of them already know."

**A/N: Well, *hides under desk and peeks out slightly* was that alright? I absolutely loved writing this chapter. It was soo warm and fluffy. I'm not sure how long it'll take me to get another one uploaded but I'll try as hard as I can. :) There are two anonymous readers who I want to reply to so here goes...**

**houseelvesrule: Thank you so much for your kind words! They really did make my week! I really hope I didn't make you wait for too long. Thank you soo much for your lovely review! It means soo much :) Have a wonderful day!**

**Robin: Thank you! I'm so so glad you liked it! Ahaha, so did you like this one then? They finally did get together and that was one of the reasons I enjoyed writing this chapter :D Thank you, thank you, thank you! :) You're awfully sweet. Have a lovely day!**

**So as usual, reviews get teasers. Let me know what you thought. And to all those people out there to celebrate Independence Day tomorrow...Happy (early) Independence Day! Have a great week.**

**Love,**

**Ishani**


	31. Chapter 31:The Last Few Days Of Summer

**A/N: What's this? An update? I'm so sorry I haven't been able to update for the last month or so. School has been mad. We've had so many activities and parties and so much work, my gosh! Anyway, I am currently at home with an awful bout of viral fever. So I thought I should update...And I did :D *nervous laugh*Anyway, thank you so much for your lovely reviews :D They made my week! Now this is a pretty short chapter. A filler if you like. I hope you enjoy reading anyway. As always, I have a few more things to say at the bottom, so I'll see you there. :) For now, happy reading :D**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 31: The Last Few Days of Summer.

Harry and Ginny walked out of the living room and into the dining room for lunch. Both were feeling nervous as they didn't quite know how everyone was going to react to the news of them being together. Lily, Sirius and Hermione hid their knowing smirks as they saw them.

"Hey, Harry," Ron greeted, and cast a puzzled glance when he saw Harry with his arm around Ginny's waist.

"Hi, mate," Harry replied with a smile, and he looked at Ginny. She smiled at him widely, and unable to help himself, Harry leaned down to peck her lips. There was a gasp from Ron, a squeal from Molly and Dorea, and a wolf whistles from both James and Remus. Fred and George were just staring at them.

Harry leaned back with wide eyes and mouthed, "Shit!" to Ginny who had also just realised that they had kissed in front of everyone.

"Ginny? Harry? W-what just happened?" Ron asked startled, "YOU JUST KISSED MY SISTER!"

Ginny nodded encouragingly to Harry and Harry cleared his throat, "Yes Ron, I did kiss Ginny, because, we're going out now."

Ron glared at them, and looked from one to the other. Then with a half shrug, half nod, he sighed, "If you hurt her, you're dead."

Harry nodded and then winced as Fred and George clapped his back, "Well, we'd be lying if we didn't see this coming, wouldn't we, Fred?"

"Indeed we would, George!" Fred agreed, poked Ginny's side and put an arm around Harry. "To be honest, we don't think any guy's exactly right for our Gin-Gin here; but that aside, you do seem to like her quite, so I suppose we'll give you our approval."

George nodded, "You're as close to perfect as they get, for her anyway. But if you mess up, we'll find a way to hurt you."

"It'll be painful," Fred added, "Because, well we have to say true to our reputation, you know?"

Harry laughed, "Thanks, guys."

Ginny turned to her mother, who pulled both of them in for a hug, "Oh, Ginny, Harry! This is simply perfect. I love you both so much and now you're together. This is _wonderful_!" She kissed both of them on the cheek and passed them on to Lily, who pulled Ginny in for a hug first.

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm so happy for the two of you! I couldn't have found a better match!" Lily squealed.

Harry mock-pouted, "I get a girlfriend and you forget all about me, huh?"

"Well done, sweetheart," Lily smiled and hugged him too, whispering in his ear, "She's wonderful."

"I know," Harry gloated, positively beaming.

Sirius, Remus and James pounded fists with Harry and hugged Ginny whispering jokes about Harry in her ear.

Hermione, who looked excited and smiled at Ginny, "Told you so."

Then she turned to Harry, "I'm glad you finally got your act together. I'm so happy for both of you."

"Thanks 'Mione!" Harry smiled at her and pulled her in for a hug.

"Well, now that all's done, how about lunch?" Sirius suggested.

* * *

The final days of the summer practically flew by. Harry and Ginny spent most of their time together, talking and a lot of the time kissing. Everyone in the household was supportive of their relationship. When Arthur found out, he was surprised and shocked, but nevertheless happy for both his daughter and Harry. He sank down in an armchair in the library and picked up a book, thinking about whether or not he'd acted happy to see them together.

_Flashback_

_Arthur Flooed back from the Ministry after a rather long day; he'd seen Percy again and his son had made no effort to greet or even acknowledge his father -not that Arthur expected him to, of course. When he reached Potter Manor that evening, he found Ginny and Harry in the living room, their hands tangled in each other's hair and their lips locked in a passionate kiss._

"_Ginny?" Arthur said, louder than he intended._

_Harry and Ginny jumped apart. "Dad! H-hi, how was work?"_

_Arthur frowned at her, "Don't change the subject, Ginny!"_

_Harry stepped forward, "Err…Mr Weasley, we didn't want you to find out like this, but earlier on today, I asked Ginny to be my girlfriend and she said yes."_

_Ginny walked towards Arthur and placed her hand on his elbow and said softly, "I really like him, Daddy."_

_Arthur sighed and whispered back, "I know, Princess; I just don't want you to get hurt."_

_Ginny smiled and kissed his cheek, "I won't."_

_Then she walked back and took Harry's hand in hers._

_Arthur walked to Harry and clapped him on the back, "Well, Harry, Molly and I have always seen you as a part of the family, and Ginny seems to like you and you seem to like her too, so I'll give you my blessing. I'm not a violent man, but if you hurt her, I'll kill you."_

_Harry nodded, "Yes sir."_

_Arthur hugged his daughter, gave Harry a grimace, and said, "Well, I'll er…Leave you to it then." And he walked out, wincing as he thought to himself that that could have gone better_.

_End of Flashback._

Arthur winced again and put the book down. The thing that hurt him the most was the fact that his little girl had grown up. He could still remember the feeling he had had at St Mungo's when Molly had given birth to her. They'd left the six boys at home with their great Aunt Muriel, and had rushed to the hospital. When Arthur had held her in his arms, his seventh child and the only girl, he knew that he wanted to be the perfect Daddy. Someone she could laugh with, cry with, come to for advice; someone she could depend on and someone whom she could be proud of, almost as much as he was proud of her right now. Seven had always been Arthur's lucky number, and Ginny made it more special every day.

When Lily and James told him about her being an Inferno, Arthur knew he was positively beaming with joy and pride. She had always been more intuitive than his other children, she always knew when someone was upset or angry and they tried to hide it. Ginny would always give herself over, even as a child, for a hug when she saw someone crying. She was the apple of his eye.

Seeing her with Harry had made him feel jealous for a little while, knowing that his little girl was now Harry's. Whenever she was upset, the first person she'd go to for a hug would be Harry, whereas otherwise it would probably be him. _But the most important thing, _Arthur reminded himself_, is that she's happy. _And she was, extremely happy.

* * *

Harry and Ginny sat on the garden swing, facing each other. He held her hand and traced its outline.

"So, everyone knows now, huh?" Harry grinned.

"Well, sure, apart from Bill, Charlie…and Percy, I guess," Ginny replied, saying Percy's name very grudgingly.

"And everyone at school after that, of course." Harry grinned again, and brought his forehead down to hers.

"You sound very happy about that," Ginny commented, with a raised eyebrow.

Harry nodded with his forehead still against hers, "I am; you're mine, and I want everyone to know that."

"You're right. I'm yours, all yours." Ginny smiled and Harry smiled back, seizing her lips for another kiss.

* * *

Sirius lay back on his bed, groaning as the thoughts of Aurora filled his head again. He didn't know why, but he felt drawn to her. There was no denying that. She was beautiful, of course. More beautiful than any of the other girls he'd dated, which was saying something because Sirius had dated a lot. Her black hair was unlike any other black he'd seen. It was a mixture of both dark brown and black and Sirius would bet his left limb that it turned reddish-gold when sunlight hit it. It was shinier and more beautiful, like a waterfall of ink that made its way down and stopped at her waist. Her eyes were the deepest ocean blue. Startlingly clear, and so intriguing you felt as if you wanted to dwell in their depths. Staring into them as he had said hello to her had made Sirius feel as though he was staring straight into her soul.

Of course, the clothes she was wearing had made her gorgeous figure even more prominent. The dress's colour made her skin look like cream and roses and Sirius blushed as he thought of how much he was just aching to touch it. Her wedge heels made her legs look longer. Her lips were full, and a gorgeous pink. They were highlighted with a subtle touch of gloss that made them look even fuller. Her demeanour interested Sirius more, though, when she had responded to his flirting in such a casual way. Normally that would have had other women swooning. She was different, he realised, and a little while after that, he also realised that he liked her. A lot.

This was weird, especially for Sirius. He was known to be a player. Merlin knew how many girls he used to date, when he was at Hogwarts, per month. He had his "criteria", and although he hadn't thought about it in a while, he realised that Aurora ticked every box in it, and she was much more than beautiful. She was smart, or at least she seemed to be. _You've got it bad, Padfoot._ Sirius thought to himself, shaking his head. Well, there was nothing else to it, he just had to get to know her. But for some reason, Sirius thought that she was going to be a lot harder to persuade than the other girls he'd already gone out with.

* * *

As the summer holidays drew to an end, Potter Manor was full of flurry. It seemed to amuse the adults and irritate the children/

"How is it that we managed to misplace more than half of the stuff Mum brought for us?" Ron grumbled.

"And all the stuff we had before," George added, lifting up a pillow from the couch as he hunted all over the living room for his Potions textbook.

It was only Hermione who had managed to keep herself organised and was watching her friends with an amused expression from the doorway.

Fred grinned at her, "Don't you look smug?"

Hermione laughed, "George, your Potions book is on the dining table. You left it there three days ago when you were trying to convince your mother that you're studying."

George smiled and walked to her, ruffling her hair, "Sometimes I wonder what we'd do without you."

Hermione blushed slightly, still grinning. Ron rolled his eyes. How was it that he could rarely get her to blush? Mind you, he was never so nice with her. He liked her, just a little bit, but it had been enough to make him jealous when she'd been going out with the wretched Krum. _Just because he's an international Quidditch player,_ Ron thought to himself. He still couldn't get the image of the way Hermione had looked at the Yule Ball out of his head. He'd never seen her hair so shiny and he'd never seen her look so beautiful…Or as happy as she had been when she was dancing with Krum. Of course, Ron had ruined that night for her after that. Come to think of it, he really had been an insensitive prat then. Not that he wasn't now. Ron sulked as Hermione laughed with Harry and Ginny, leaving him to his thoughts. How was it that Harry got Ginny and Ron didn't get Hermione? Then he reminded himself, _Harry actually had the guts to ask. _ But that's because he knew Ginny liked him. _Maybe Hermione likes you too. _Riiight, if that's true, I'll eat my hat. Then Ron shook his head slightly. _Now I'm arguing with myself. _

He snapped out of his thoughts when Ginny waved a hand in front of him, "Ron? You done?"

Ron nodded, "Yeah, I found the book, let's go."

Ron looked at Hermione again and smiled at her, when she looked back. She looked surprised, but gave him a soft smile nevertheless. Ron shrugged internally and thought to himself, _Maybe I just have to try a bit harder?_

* * *

The last evening of Potter Manor was loud and noisy. Dotty and Daisy had made a huge feast that consisted of everyone's favourite dishes. Tonks had joined them at Lily and Dorea's insistence. She entertained everyone by changing her appearance and soon Hermione and Ginny were requesting her to do their favourite noses. She sat next to Remus, who looked as though he was trying not to show how happy he was with the seating arrangements. The food, of course, was delicious and everyone took second and third helpings (the boys and men taking four or five) of everything, including the dessert. Harry was halfway through his second helping of treacle tart when he realised that he'd barely given any thought o Voldemort over the past few weeks, having had so much to do. He thought that was a good thing, considering he was busying himself with the one thing that Voldemort would never have, a family.

Next on the evening's programme were reminisces, and then the Marauders, Fred, George and Tonks told everyone about the pranks they had played, which filled the evening with more laughter. Harry had his arm wrapped around Ginny as she cuddled into him. Remus and Tonks were sitting across from each other, and whenever they met each other's eyes, Tonks would blush and Remus would look down with his lips twitching as though he was trying not to smile. This didn't go unnoticed by the women in the household. Hermione, Fred and Ron were occupying one couch, with Hermione sitting in the middle.

Ginny winked at Fred, who winked back and put his arm around Hermione, who looked surprised till she saw the look of glee on Ginny's face and the look of jealousy and shock on Ron's. Fred grinned at her evilly and she smiled back, wondering what on Earth she'd done to deserve such wonderful people in her life.

Ron looked at his hands and Harry fought back a smile as he asked, "You alright there, mate?"

Ron looked up and nodded, whilst Ginny shook with silent laughter. George sat on an armchair near the fire and muttered, "Oh, he's smitten!" and exchanged a gleeful look with Sirius, wondering when on Earth Ron was going to get the guts to ask the girl out.

They all stayed up till ten thirty, and then Sirius and Ron complained that they were slightly peckish, so everyone got cups of steamy hot chocolate topped with a generous helping of marshmallows. Everyone settled down and drank the warm liquid whilst watching Dr Filibuster's Fireworks ricochet off the walls whilst whizzing and popping, sending dozens of multi-coloured sparks in every direction.

Once the hot chocolates were finished, Dorea, Molly and Lily decided that it was really time for everyone to go to bed. Tonks said goodbye, leaving Remus for last, and then Flooed back home. The children were ushered into bed and Harry grinned at the ceiling, savouring the night one last time before closing his eyes and falling into a deep slumber.

**A/N: Once again, thank you for those incredible reviews for the last chapter! I'm really glad you enjoyed that chapter because I absolutely adored writing it. Definitely one of my favorites :D**

**I received this awesome review from an anon: Robin.**

**Well, here's my reply: Thank you soo much! I'm super glad you liked it so much because I truly truly loved writing this chapter :D Yeah, they really are the perfect couple you know? :) Oh thank you ever soo much! :)**

**ps. I never have, mainly because i'm 14 so that's not my area of expertise..:P but I'll let you know if I change my mind ahah :) Thank you for the suggestion though!**

**Now then, how was this chapter? I know it was pretty short, but I liked writing the fluffiness and I especially wanted you guys to read the reactions of what had gone on in the previous chapters. And what about Ron and Hermione eh? They're beginning to realize their feelings for each other, but sadly they'll be a bit slower than Harry and Ginny. *groans* :P But the other characters will be giving them hell :)**

**So, leave me your thoughts on this chapter. Any comments, compliments or questions :) Reviews get sneak peeks as always! :D I'll update as soon as I can. Thanks a ton for all the support :)**

**Have a superb weekend!**

**Love,**

**Ishani**


	32. Chapter 32:Back To Hogwarts

**A/N: Hey :) Hope you're all doing super well. I'd like to apologise for the hugely late update. Again, it's the same issue. School's a pain. Seeing as I'm taking my IGCSEs this year, teachers are really increasing the workload and I feel like I'm drowning behind piles and piles of books and notes. *Shakes head* Anyway, I finally found the time to update. :D *Shakes head* Anyway, I finally found the time to update. :D This chapter has a lot of dialogue and it's a lot of important dialogue so make sure you pay attention :P I have tests from the 24th that go on till the 10th so if I don't reply to your reviews, blame my teachers. Thank you to everyone and all of your amaazing and endless support. It really makes my day :D Meet you at the bottom and happy reading :)**

Chapter 32: Back to Hogwarts.

The next morning turned out to be more hectic than anyone expected. Dumbledore had ordered that the children had to be accompanied to King's Cross station with a guard of Order members, along with James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, Arthur and Molly who were going to be there too. Harry wasn't fooled of course, he knew the guard was for him and he was less than pleased. He didn't expect any of the Death Eaters or Voldemort himself to pop up and try to kill him. It was pretty obvious that he was trying to lay low. Besides, if they did attack, Harry didn't want anyone to have to die for him.

To make it easier, they had all been taken to Grimmauld Place that morning. It was dead depressing and Mrs Black had almost shrieked the place down when they had all arrived. Everyone had piled into the living room, which was spotless, Dobby and Winky made them all breakfast as they'd all had a very early start from Potter Manor. It was now nine-thirty and the children had busied themselves playing games.

Sirius grinned as he saw their bored faces, "You'll only have to wait a few more minutes. Moody and Tonks are on their way."

Remus, who was currently engaged in a game of Exploding Snap with the twins looked up, "T-Tonks?"

Harry looked up puzzled whilst Hermione and Ginny giggled. Remus' eyes had turned darker, from hazelnut to chocolate, a pink hue appearing on his cheeks.

Lily exchanged an exasperated look with Dorea and Molly, "Yes Remus, Tonks and Moody are coming. There isn't a problem is there?"

Remus looked up at her and gave her an odd sort of grimace, "No, of course not."

A second later, they heard a loud bang, signalling to everyone that Tonks had arrived and tripped over the umbrella stand once again. As expected, Mrs Black's portrait started shrieking another wave of insults. James and Sirius hurried over to close the curtains and shut her up.

Moody followed Tonks inside, Tonks wearing an incredibly sheepish expression, "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry", Sirius teased, "We're all used to it now."

Everyone laughed, and Moody interrupted, "Alright, let's get a move on then."

They stepped outside, their trunks moving beside them and lined up along the street. Tonks stuck out her wand. There was a gust of wind, a loud BANG! and all of a sudden, a triple decker, purple bus was standing in front of them. The conductor stood at the door and introduced himself as Stan Shunpike. He was about to give them a welcome speech but Lily interrupted, "Er, can we just skip this speech thing and get on? There are a lot of us and we're kind of in a hurry."

James paid him the money as the others found their seats. To their surprise, it was practically empty, apart from two middle aged witches who looked rather alarmed at the noise the large group was making.

Alright alright, settle down. Mrs Weasley hissed, pushing Fred and George into seats. Everyone sat down and with another BANG! the Knight Bus was off, causing many people to collide into each other. Harry looked around as he steadied Ginny, placing an arm around her shoulders; Ron was holding Hermione's hips to steady her, James had Lily in a similar position, Fred and George were clutching onto the armrests of the seats and as for Remus and Tonks, she was on his lap and both of them looked very comfortable. Blushing brightly, Tonks shifted into her own seat, whispering a word of thanks in Remus' ear.

Harry looked at them with a knowing smirk. _They wouldn't make a bad couple_, he thought.

When the bus stopped at King's Cross station, everyone was quite prepared and they'd all grabbed hold of something to steady themselves. They rushed off the bus, eager to get out and made their way to Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

The Hogwarts' Express was there already, and after exchanging goodbyes, hugs and kisses (from Mrs Weasley, Lily and Dorea), Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Fred and George got on to the train. The twins left to look for their friend Lee Jordan.

Ron looked at Harry, "Should we find a compartment then?"

Hermione shook her head, "Prefects are supposed to go to the prefect compartment first."

"Right," Ron said awkwardly and the two of them headed off.

Ginny watched them smiling, "Wouldn't it be nice if by the time they got back one of them plucked up the courage to ask the other out?"

Harry laughed, "Definitely, but not everyone's as brave as me."

Ginny shook her head giggling, "You and your ego. C'mon lets go get some seats."

They bumped into Neville who was staring at a compartment door looking slightly hesitant.

"Are you going to sit inside Neville?" Ginny asked.

"It's already occupied." Neville said, embarrassed. He was carrying a plant with him.

Harry and Ginny peered inside. A pretty girl with dirty blonde hair and a butterbeer cork necklace was sitting inside the compartment with her wand tucked behind her right ear. It looked as if it had been kept there for safe keeping.

Ginny slid the compartment door open, "Hi Luna."

Luna smiled at her, "Hi Ginny!"

Harry and Neville followed Ginny inside, "This is Neville Longbottom and this is my boyfriend Harry Potter."

Harry grinned at being introduced that way, it sounded good to him. Neville seemed to agree because he cast a slightly shocked but happy look between Ginny and Harry, nodding to himself in approval. Ginny turned to Harry and Neville, "This is Luna Lovegood, she's in my year, but in Ravenclaw."

Luna smiled and nodded, "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure," she said in a sing-song voice.

"Nice to meet you." Harry said, as Neville waved. They sat down and Harry asked, "So Luna, how was your summer?"

Luna looked surprised that Harry was attempting to start a conversation with her. She smiled softly as she responded, "It was fun. Daddy and I went looking for a crumple-horned snackork but he kept escaping."

Harry tried to look as though he knew what she was talking about, "That's a shame."

Luna nodded and went back to reading _The Quibbler _magazine, upside down.

They sat in silence for a few moments and as the train started to speed up, Neville pointed at the potted plant he had been holding, "Harry, look! It's a Mimbulus Mimbletonia. Uncle Algie gave it to me for my birthday."

Harry grinned at Neville; he knew how much Neville loved Herbology, "What does it do?"

"It has an amazingly developed defence mechanism!" Neville replied, his round face beaming with excitement. He poked it with his wand and all of a sudden, the entire compartment was covered in a sticky, gooey substance that was a slightly dull green colour. "Oh no, sorry."

The compartment door slid open just as Harry was wiping it off his glasses. Cho Chang stood staring at him with a slightly nervous expression.

"Oh, hello Harry! Is this a bad time?" Cho asked.

Harry nodded grimly, "Yeah, I'm sorry."

Cho shook her head and smiled at him, twirling a lock of her hair on her finger very slowly, "No problem, I'll talk to you later."

She slid the door shut and Harry turned to Ginny, "What in the name of Merlin was that about?"

Ginny smirked knowingly and bit back a laugh as she saw his alarmed expression, "I have no idea." Then she looked around the compartment and raised her wand, "Scourgify."

Everything in the compartment, including the people became clean once more and Neville looked at her with gratitude, "Thanks Gin."

The three of them were soon deep in conversation, Luna still reading her magazine. About an hour later the compartment door slid open and Dennis and Colin Creevey, and Demelza Robbins stood in the doorway. Ginny's eyes widened and she squealed.

"Well hello there, my little spitfire!" Colin laughed as she jumped into his arms for a hug.

Demelza giggled, "Oh so now she remembers us."

Ginny smiled, as they sat down, "Sorry I was preoccupied."

Demelza nodded, "You, with Harry Potter! You sent me a letter the day after you got together and then when I asked for details you said I'll tell you when I meet you. The suspense is killing me."

"Patience is a virtue." Ginny said, laughing.

Colin shook his head, It isn't one of mine. "Now, you said you'd give us the details."

Dennis continued, "So now, we want them."

Harry chuckled, "You do realise I'm here right?"

Colin punched his arm, "Alright then, you can give us the details."

Harry cleared his throat, "Well, see, it goes like this. She just couldn't resist my charm and _ouch_-" he was cut off when Ginny elbowed him in the stomach, "Okay, alright. That wasn't how it happened. Well during the summer I kind of realised that I wasn't seeing Ginny the same way I normally see her. You know, as my best mate's little sister? She became a friend and then I found myself hoping she was something more. It just took me till the last two weeks of summer for me to firstly realise that I liked her as something more than a friend and to pluck up the courage to ask her out."

Demelza sighed, "That sure beats my summer." Then she grinned at the two of them, "You two make a great couple!"

Harry buried his face in Ginny's hair for a few seconds before replying, "Thanks."

He smiled as Ginny, Demelza, Colin and Dennis shared stories of their summer. Harry then turned to Neville and they were about to play Wizard's Chess when the compartment door opened again, and this time Ron and Hermione entered.

Ron sat down next to Harry and Ginny grinned, "So how's life treating you, Mr Prefect?"

"It's busy and there are so many rules, but worst of all, guess who the prefects are for Slytherin?" He replied.

"Malfoy?" Harry asked, apprehensively.

"Yes", Hermione replied briskly, "And that complete cow Pansy Parkinson."

"Ah shit." Harry groaned.

Ron nodded, "It's Hannah Abbott and Ernie Macmillan for Hufflepuff, and Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw."

"But the funny thing is, Malfoy wasn't rude to me at all when he saw me", Hermione said, "He almost smiled at me!"

Unable to resist himself, Ron teased, "Maybe he likes you."

"Impossible!" Hermione retorted, "Anyway, there's going to be a new student joining fourth year."

Neville looked up, "Who?"

"She's one of Hannah's cousins. She used to go to Beauxbatons but her mum wants her closer to home." Hermione replied, "She's in Hannah's compartment right now."

Ginny and Demelza nodded, "Is she nice?"

Hermione shrugged, "I hope so."

"Do you know her name?" Harry asked.

"Allisa Caroline Nott-O'Connor." Hermione replied.

"Wait, Nott? As in Nott's father? As in the one who's a Death Eater?" Harry said, shocked.

Hermione nodded.

"And you know this, how?" Ginny asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Hannah told us. Allisa's really nervous about the whole switching thing and since we're good friends of Hannah's, Hannah was wondering if we could help her out a little if she's in Gryffindor. I wonder which house she'll be in." Hermione said.

The trolley came just then and everyone chipped in to buy enough candy for the rest of the train ride. As they busied themselves in eating the Chocolate Frogs and swapping cards, the compartment door slid open again, revealing Draco Malfoy who was flanked by Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise Zabinni.

Harry studied Draco and his eyes widened with surprise. Normally, Draco would have a sarcastic or sardonic grin. Now he just frowned, almost sadly, as he looked around the compartment. He looked paler than usual, his normally sleek hair, was messy and he had dark circles under his eyes which were without their usual malicious glint. To Harry's surprise, it wasn't Malfoy who started talking.

"Well look who we have here-" Blaise started.

"Really Zabinni, that's the best you can come up with? Merlin, that was awful! Besides, I thought Malfoy was the one who normally did the talking?" Ginny asked, interrupting him.

"Either way, we don't want to hear it, so unless you have anything nice to say you can get out." Hermione said, folding her arms.

Draco looked around the compartment again, feeling a tinge of jealousy as he saw Harry wrap an arm around Ginny. Not that he liked her in that way of course. Malfoy was just slightly upset about the fact that Harry had friends whereas all he had were followers, who were two-faced anyway. He shrugged and then said, "Let's go."

Harry, Ginny, Ron and Neville watched, completely bewildered as they left.

"Alright, what the hell just happened?" Ron asked.

Harry shrugged, "You were right Hermione, something's wrong with Malfoy."

"And we care because?" Ron asked.

Ginny shook her head, "No, Malfoy really is in trouble or something of that sort anyway. I sensed a lot of guilt, remorse and hatred, but not towards us. It's like he hates himself."

Ron snorted, "That's impossible."

Hermione's eyes widened, "You think it's something to do with—"

She didn't have to complete her sentence for Harry, Ron, Ginny and Neville to understand who she was talking about and Harry shrugged,"It's possible."

Luna, who had started to read _The Quibbler _again, shrugged, "So it looks like he won't be using his new Prefect powers for evil."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Ron said darkly,"And that's why I'm going to get his mates before he gets mine."

Hermione shook her head, hiding a smile, "So you're going to stoop to his level?"

Ron grinned, "Nope. That's impossible. He's one of a kind remember? A foul, evil cockroach. Anyway, I'll probably make Crabbe and Goyle do lines. Or maybe I'll make them think, that'll probably hurt them enough anyway!"

Everyone laughed, but no one laughed harder than Luna, who laughed for five minutes straight, and then began to choke, gasping for breath. This made everyone laugh even harder as they stared at the shocked look on Ron's face.

"Oh that _was _funny!" Luna exclaimed.

"Are you making fun of me?" Ron asked with his eyebrows knitted together.

"No, it was funny." Luna repeated.

"Oh," Ron said, looking rather pleased with himself, "Alright then."

* * *

As the train began to slow down in Hogsmeade, everyone suddenly became more alert. No one had noticed how quickly the time had gone. Hurriedly they put on their robes and when the train did stop, the noise and chaos in the compartment was almost unbearable. Ginny grabbed Hedwig's cage and Hermione took Pigwidgeon's whilst Luna picked up Crookshanks who was hissing ferociously as he had accidentally been kicked by Dennis.

They made their way out, on to the platform and Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny listened eagerly for Hagrid calling out to the first' years, but what they heard was completely different. A soft, timid voice called, "First years, this was please!"

Harry looked in the direction of the voice and to his surprise; it was Professor Grubbly-Plank who was beckoning the slightly nervous first years to her, "What's she doing here?"

Ginny frowned and shook her head, "I have no idea, come on, let's go get a carriage. Maybe he came back from _work _and was too tired to come and gather the first years. Maybe he's at the feast?"

Hermione nodded in agreement and suddenly waved at Hannah and another girl who was standing beside her, "That's Allisa."

Ginny smiled,"She seems nice."

"How do you know?" Ron scoffed, "You haven't even met her."

Ginny opened her mouth to retort, telling him that she could sense people's vibes and know whether they were good or bad, but then she remembered that he didn't know about her being an Inferno and closed her mouth. Hermione looked between the both of them and decided to intervene in case Ginny did reply, "Alright, let's go. Luna has Crookshanks right?" Hermione asked as they continued walking to the carriages.

"Yeah, she does. She's already by the carriages. Look!" Harry replied, pointing at Luna who was standing with Neville, carrying Crookshanks who was now purring.

"They wouldn't make a bad couple." Ginny said in an undertone to Harry as they reached the carriages.

As everyone else got on, Harry couldn't help but stare at the winged animals that were pulling the carriages. They were huge and a deep, dull reddish colour. He wondered how he hadn't seen them before because they weren't hard to miss. He'd always thought the carriages pulled themselves.

"Mate, you are coming aren't you?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded, and then pointed towards the creatures, one of whom had his eyes fixed on him, "What are those things?"

Hermione looked in the direction he was pointing, rather alarmed when she couldn't see anything, "What things Harry?"

Harry was surprised when Neville answered the question for him, "The things pulling the carriages."

Harry looked at him, "You can see them?"

Neville nodded.

Ginny looked from Harry to Neville, getting more worried by the second. "I think you two are just tired." She said as though she was trying to convince herself, "You'd better get on Harry."

Harry nodded as he climbed on to the carriage and sat next to Luna. He wondered how only he and Neville could see them. Or was Neville lying? But that wasn't likely. _Am I going mad? _ He thought to himself.

Luna smiled at him softly, and as if she had read his mind, she said, "Don't worry, you're not going mad. I can see them too. You're just as sane as I am."

Harry looked at her whilst the others talked about the feast (Hermione, Ron and Ginny casting a worried look at him every now and then), thinking that he wasn't quite sure whether the fact that Loony Luna Lovegood could see them too was comforting. Telling himself that he'd worry about it later, he joined in the discussion, grinning as his stomach rumbled at the mention of his favourite, treacle tart.

**A/N: A huge thank you for all the reviews and favs and alerts. :)**

**I received this incredibly sweet review from an anon reviewer: ReviewerGuy.**

**Here's my reply: Thank you so much! I'm so incredibly pleased that you liked it. You have no idea how much that means to me! :D Ahaha, to be honest, I wanted to get them together sooner, but I wanted to make Harry wait a little before he got Ginny because he makes her wait so much in canon. Oohh :) I hope so. Thank you so so so so much for all your amazing support :) It's readers like you that really mot****ivate me to write further. So a huge thank you :D**

**P.s. Yeah I'm only 14 :$ Thank you, but I guess the credit should really go to my mum and my english teachers who encouraged my obsessive reading habits :P Ahaha, well I'm glad :) Thank you ever so much for your review :) It really made me smile! :D Have a great week :)**

**Secondly, I've been reading a lot of Dramione fics and although I wasn't such a big fan, the pairing works pretty well, although it won't be here in this story. You should try reading them. Refer to my favourite stories list for ideas :P**

**So, how was this chapter then? It had loads of dialogue, but as I told you, most of it is very very important. There'll be some more interesting stuff coming up next :D**

**As always, leave your comments and thoughts on this chapter. I'd love to know whether you liked it or not. Sneak peeks for reviewers as always :) And I'll update as soon as I possibly can. Have a great week and thank you soo much once again for all your support :D**

**Love,**

**Ishani**


	33. Chapter 33:First Week Of Fifth Year

**A/N: Hi there. I hope you guys are enjoying your holidays. I was finally able to write, but unfortunately my teachers have piled on homework too. Anyway, hopefully, I'll be able to update more often now, but please don't blame me if I can't. This year is really important and I really have to concentrate on my academics (no matter how much I wish that I could write). Anyway, as always a huge thank you for all the support. Keep it up, it really makes my day :D This is a longer chapter, so I hope you like it...and I'll see you at the bottom :) Happy reading! **

**Disclaimer: I still own absolutely nothing. **

Chapter 33: First Week of Fifth Year

Ginny and Harry walked hand in hand to the Great Hall and took their seats at the Gryffindor Table. They caused many eyes to turn, some in appreciation, some with jealousy and others with scorn. Not that either Harry or Ginny cared of course. Both of them weren't big fans of attention. Harry scanned the Head Table to see if Hagrid was here, but Professor Grubbly-Plank had taken his seat too.

Harry turned to Ron, Hermione and Ginny, "I think he's still out on Order business."

Hermione nodded, looking at the table too, "Who is that woman?"

Harry followed her gaze and to his alarm he saw a short, ugly toad like woman who looked like an over-iced pink cupcake looking at him, "She works with Fudge. How the hell can she be then new DADA teacher?"

Ron shook his head, "This doesn't sound good to me."

Ginny nodded, worried, "So Fudge has sent a spy from the Ministry to Hogwarts to keep an eye on Harry and Dumbledore. Could he stoop any lower?"

"I hope not. Even if the Ministry doesn't fire him, Lily'll give him hell." Hermione smiled slightly at Harry, who grinned back, glad that she'd lightened the situation.

"Oh, look, the first years are here!" Ginny smiled, pointing to the row of incredibly short students who looked up at the ceiling with amazement. "And there's Allisa. I suppose she'll be sorted into one of the houses too."

Ron poked his sister on her shoulder, "Shut up so the Hat'll finish the song and the sorting so that we can get started with the food."

Ginny stuck her tongue out at him as the Sorting Hat began its song.

_In times of old, when I was new,_

_And Hogwarts barely started,_

_The founders of our noble school,_

_Thought never to be parted,_

_United by a common goal,_

_They had the selfsame yearning,_

_To make the world's best magic school_

_And pass along their learning._

"_Together we will build and teach"_

_The four good friends decided_

_And never did they dream that they_

_Might someday be divided._

_For were there such good friends anywhere_

_As Slytherin and Gryffindor?_

_Unless it was the second pair_

_Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw,_

_So how could it have gone so wrong?_

_How could such friendships fail?_

_Why, I was there, so I can tell_

_The whole sad, sorry tale._

_Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those_

_Whose ancestry's purest."_

_Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach just those whose_

_Intelligence is surest."_

_Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those_

_With brave deeds to their name."_

_Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot_

_And treat them all the same."_

_These differences caused little strife_

_When first they came to light._

_For each of the founders had_

_A house in which they might_

_Take only those they wanted, so,_

_For instance, Slytherin_

_Took only pure-blood wizards_

_Of great cunning just like him._

_And only those of the sharpest mind_

_Were taught by Ravenclaw_

_While the bravest and the boldest_

_Went to daring Gryffindor._

_Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest_

_And taught them all she knew,_

_Thus, the houses and their founders_

_Maintained friendships firm and true._

_So Hogwarts worked in harmony_

_For several happy years,_

_But then discord crept among us_

_Feeding on our fault and fears._

_The Houses that, like pillars four_

_Had once held up our school_

_Now turned upon each other and_

_Divided, sought to rule._

_And for a while it seemed the school_

_Must meet an early end._

_What with duelling and with fighting_

_And the clash of friend of friend._

_And at last there came a morning_

_When old Slytherin departed_

_And though the fighting then died out_

_He left us quite downheartened._

_And never since the founders four_

_Were whittled down to three_

_Have the Houses been united_

_As they were meant to be._

_And now the Sorting Hat is here_

_And you all know the score:_

_I sort you into Houses because that is what I'm for._

_But this yeat I'll go further,_

_Listen closely to my song:_

_Though I'm condemned to split you_

_Still I worry that it's wrong,_

_Though I must fulfil my duty_

_And must quarter every year_

_Still I wonder whether sorting_

_Maynot bring the end I fear._

_Oh, know the perils, read the signs,_

_The warning history shows,_

_For our Hogwarts is in danger_

_From external, deadly foes_

_And we must unite inside her_

_Or we'll cruble from within_

_I have told you, I have warned you_

_Let the Sorting now begin._

With that, the Hat closed its mouth. For a few seconds the Great Hall was filled with a startled silence and then there was an outbreak of applause, led by Dumbledore. The first year students looked more nervous than ever as McGonagall began to call their names one by one. Harry and Hermione looked at each other in shock as Ginny asked Nearly Headless Nick whether the Hat had ever given any warnings of this sort before.

"Oh yes," Nick replied, his head bouncing dangerously on his head, "The Sorting Hat has given warnings before whenever it believed we were in danger."

Ron looked around nervously, "But he wants the four houses to unite against the foes, which I'm guessing refers to You-Know-Who and his followers, even though more than half of Slytherin are supporters of the Dark Arts?"

Hermione, who had just finished applauding as Sarah Galaday got Sorted into Ravenclaw turned to Ron, "That's the entire point Ronald. The rest of Slytherin who aren't supporters of the Dark Arts, have been falsely labelled. Maybe they just need that little push to turn good?"

Nick smiled at her, "That's the spirit Hermione." He eyed Ron, "You ought to learn from her." Then he floated away leaving Ron grumbling.

Ginny grinned, "That's almost all the first-years done now. Only three left and then Allisa."

Ron nodded, "And then the feast."

Harry laughed, "I hear you there, mate."

They watched Allisa step up and put the hat on her head. She was there for a minute or so and suddenly the hat bellowed, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Hermione and Ginny clapped loudly laughing as the twins hooted.

As she came closer, Harry got a better look at her. She was very pretty-although she had nothing on Ginny. Her hair was a combination of chestnut brown and red and it was so deep it looked bronze. Her eyes were a bright blue which gave a very nice contrast. She sat down with a flop and looked around shyly at the group of students who were looking at her.

"I'm Ginny and this is Hermione, my brother Ron and my boyfriend Harry." Ginny smiled, "Welcome to Gryffindor."

"Thanks!" Allisa smiled back at her, "It's nice to meet you."

Harry and Ron grinned, thinking Ginny was right, she did seem nice. There were many introductions and Allisa sat down, soon deep in conversation with Ginny and Hermione about Witch Weekly.

Harry and Ron exchanged exasperated glances, "Girls." They soon forgot their thoughts however as food appeared on the tables and they piled food on their plate.

Allisa was watching them with a wide smile, "Hungry much, boys?"

Hermione laughed, "You'll get used to it. The amount of food they're piling on their plates now is less than usual."

Soon everyone had finished with the first, second and third helpings and moved on to dessert. The plates were cleared and Dumbledore stood up with a warm smile.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore smiled, "This year we have yet another Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Professor Dolores Jane Umbridge, we wish you good luck." A lukewarm round of applause followed and Dumbledore was about to continue his speech when Professor Umbridge stood up and cleared her throat with a soft '_hem hem_.'

The other teachers exchanges surprised glances. McGonagall pursed her lips but Dumbledore smiled and gestured Professor Umbridge forward.

With another '_hem hem', _Professor Umbridge began what seemed to be a well-rehearsed speech, "Thank you Headmaster, for those warm words of welcome."

To Harry's surprise, her voice was overly-sweet, breathy and high-pitched-he had been expecting a croak.

Yet another '_hem hem' _followed this and then she continued her speech, "It is rather lovely to be back here at Hogwarts and to see all those wonderful, happy faces looking back at me. I look forward to meeting and getting to know all of you and I hope that we'll be very good friends."

She emitted a girlish giggle and Harry bit back a laugh as he saw McGonagall exchange a look of utter distaste with Professor Sprout.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of the utmost importance. The gifts that you have been given are rare and may count for nothing if they are not nurtured and **honed **by careful and critical instruction."

By this point Harry had tuned out, and had started to play with Ginny's hair. Ron was staring at the ceiling but Hermione, Ginny and to Harry's surprise Allisa, were all listening with rapt attention. He looked around the Great Hall and saw that very few people were actually paying Umbridge any attention. Luna had taken out her Quibbler again, most people were chatting. Harry noted that Malfoy (where he'd normally be either flirting with Pansy Parkinson) was looking at the Gryffindor table with a slightly wistful look. Ernie Macmillan was staring at Umbridge with a glassy-eyed expression and Harry grinned as he realised that the pompous boy was only pretending to listen in an attempt to live up to the shiny Prefect badge glistening on his chest.

Harry turned his attention back to Umbridge as she spoke about the headmasters and headmistresses of Hogwarts.

"… Headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new and unique to the heavy and difficult task of governing this legendary school, and that is as it should be for without any progress there would be **stagnation and decay. **However, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged for our old, well-thought-out traditions require no tinkering. A balance between the old and the new, permanence and change, tradition and innovation should be maintained in order to…"

Ron and Harry yawned simultaneously, not catching the rest of that part of the monotonous speech.

Umbridge took another pause and cleared her throat again. By this point Ginny had lost interest too, but Hermione and Allisa were soaking in every word Umbridge spoke. Their looks of disgust showed that it was nothing Harry wanted to hear, but nevertheless…

"You must know that some changes will be for the better and others will be recognised as errors of judgement. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, whereas others that are outworn, will be abandoned, allowing us to move forward into an era of openness, effectiveness and accountability that is intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what ought to be perfected and finally, pruning wherever we find practicesthat out to be prohibited."

With a final simper she sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead and slowly the students joined in, but by the time everyone had started, Dumbledore was standing again. In contrast to Umbridge's speech, everyone in the Hall was listening to what Dumbledore was saying with their full attention, "Thank you Professor, that was most illuminating," he gave her a little bow, "Now as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held…"

Allisa and Hermione exchanged dark glances, "Well that definitely was most illuminating."

Ron gaped at Hermione who had said this, "You're _joking! _How could you handle that? I mean Binns, alright the guy is boring, but he talks in a language that is understandable. That was the biggest load of waffle I've ever heard and I grew up with Percy."

Allisa shook her head, "There was something inside all that waffle though Ron."

Harry raised his eyebrows, "Would you care to explain?"

Hermione nodded, "How about: 'progress for progress's sake must be discouraged' or 'pruning wherever we find practicesthat out to be prohibited'?"

Ron shrugged, "Didn't understand a thing."

Allisa, unable to help herself, rolled her eyes, "It means that the Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts."

"Why?" Harry asked.

She shrugged, "I'm guessing because they don't believe what you and Dumbledore are telling everyone about Voldemort being back out in open."

Harry and Ginny looked at her in surprise. Not many people said his name. Allisa smiled grimly, "Yeah, I said his name. He's really messed up my life. Anyway, that's not important. Even if the _Daily Prophet_ is printing bullshit about you Harry, it doesn't mean everyone's going to believe it. I don't and you shouldn't worry. Anyone with sense will figure out that Dumbledore isn't in it for the power and come around."

Hermione smiled demurely and whispered to Ron, Harry and Ginny, "I like her."

They were so wrapped up in their conversation that they didn't hear Dumbledore dismissing them. In a hurry, Ron and Hermione gathered the first-years and led them to the dormitories (Ron shouting "midgets" to get their attention). Harry, Allisa and Ginny followed the Gryffindors, crowding into the common room.

Harry kissed Ginny goodnight and hugged Hermione, waving bye to Allisa, he headed up to his dormitory with Ron.

He found that Dean, Neville and Seamus were already there.

"Hey Dean, good summer?" Ron asked, thumping him on the back.

"It was alright, better than Seamus' anyway." Dean replied with a grin.

"What happened Seamus?" Neville asked as he placed his Mimbulus Mimbletonia gingerly on his bedside table.

"Me mam didn't want me to come back." Seamus replied softly.

"Why?" Harry asked, both knowing and dreading the answer.

"Because of what the _Daily Prophet_'s printing out about you and Dumbledore, but I reckon what you're sayin' has gotta be true. I told me mam that too, but she won't listen to reason." Seamus sighed.

"It's alright, mate. Gran thinks Dumbledore and Harry are right. She always said You-Know-Who would be back and that he was just out there, biding his time."

Harry smiled gratefully at Neville before getting into bed, wondering how many more people were going to hate him for the lies that the _Daily Prophet_ was printing.

* * *

The next day was the busiest first day Harry had ever had in his life. Hermione started off by getting irritated with Fred and George for advertising their need for testers. Although it was a paid job, she thought it was wrong. Hermione also told Harry to stop worrying about Seamus. In her dormitory, Parvati and Lavender had told her that they believed Harry. This made him feel a bit better.

They headed down to breakfast and Angelina Johnson informed Harry that she had been made Quidditch Captain as Oliver had left. Just the idea of playing Quidditch again made an immense change to his mood and he smiled a bit more. The grin was soon wiped off his face as they were given their timetables.

Ron swore under his breath, "You've got to be kidding me. This is the shittiest timetable I've ever seen! History of Magic, _double _Potions, Divination, and then _double _Defence Against the Dark Arts."

Hermione looked slightly stressed, "Allisa, what subjects did you take?"

"History of Magic, Potions, DADA, Transfiguration, Herbology, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Charms…Mostly the same as you." Allisa replied.

Ginny grinned as she looked at their timetable, "Well, mine's not half as bad as yours."

"Stick a sock in it, will you?" Ron glared at her, "I hope yours is worse next year."

They finished breakfast and headed off to History of Magic. Harry dropped Ginny off at Charms, with a quick kiss. They almost ran to class, not wanting to be late on the very first day and took their seats. Allisa sat in between Ron and Hermione, and Harry smiled to himself, no doubt she was going to regret that after a while. He sat down next to Hermione and zoned out as Professor Binns began to teach them about giant wars. It was only Hermione who paid attention in this class of course. How she did it, no one knew. Binns assigned them a foot-and-a-half long essay on giant wars, to everyone's dismay.

Yawning severely as the class ended, they headed for Potions, bumping into Cho on the way.

"Hi Harry." Cho gave him a wide smile.

"Hi. Good summer?" He attempted to be friendly.

"It was alright. How was yours?" She asked.

Ron, unable to stop himself, interrupted, "That's a Tornadoes badge isn't it? How long have you supported them then?" He asked, pointing to the sky blue badge, pinned on her robes.

She gave him a tight smile, "I've supported them since I was six. I'll see you around Harry."

Hermione sighed as she walked away, "Ron, you are such an idiot."

"Why, I was only asking.."

"Couldn't you see she wanted to talk to Harry?"

"Yeah well I—" Ron started to reply and Harry turned to Allisa to tell her to get used to it, and to his surprise she was smiling.

"Are they always like this?" Allisa asked him.

"Yeah."

"Well, in that case, they are completely smitten with each other. It's the classic playground case where the boy pulls the girl's hair to get a reaction." She giggled.

Harry nodded, pretending to understand what she said, "You'll get along well with Ginny and Hermione." He turned to his bickering best friends, "Will you two cut it out? It's only the first day!"

Hermione had the decency to look sheepish, Ron just looked indignant. Harry ignored the looks and led them to the dungeons where his least favourite teacher was waiting to make his life hell.

As expected, Snape started off the lesson with a long lecture about the importance of the O. and his expectations. After he'd finished with that, he let them make the Draught of Peace, the instructions were up on the board and he was walking around, literally sticking his nose in every student's potion. Harry had made his very well; he'd got all those Potion skills from his mother. His potion was as good as Hermione's and she got an E grade whereas he got an A. Allisa seemed to be very good at Potions too, she got an A as well. Naturally, Snape took the opportunity to pile them with homework; a foot long essay on the uses of moonstones.

Trelawney's class as expected was heavily perfumed and incredibly warm. She made them interpret their dreams, which turned out to be extremely boring,, seeing as Divination was one of their least favourite subjects, they really couldn't be bothered. Trelawney ended up giving them homework too, a month's dream diary. Harry groaned. He already wanted this year to stop, and it had barely started.

The final two classes of the day were the ones that Harry was dreading. Normally Defence Against the Dark Arts was his favourite subject, even with Barty Crouch Jr. - at least he learnt something. When they walked into the classroom, they saw Professor Umbridge, seated at her desk. She was wearing another hideous cardigan and a pink hairband with a bow that looked abnormally large for her head. Once the lesson started, Umbridge told them that this year they would be learning Defensive Theory instead of magic. She got the class reading the first chapter and Hermione, who had already read the whole book, was very close to losing her patience with the woman she'd "lovingly" nicknamed 'pink toad.' She raised her hand.

Professor Umbridge watched as she did, but decided to ignore her. After a few minutes, she decided she could do so no longer and asked, with a sweet smile, "Do you have a question about the chapter, dear?"

Hermione shook her head and put her hand down, "Not about the chapter."

"Well we're only reading right now. If you have any other queries**, **we can deal with them later."

"I've got a query about course aims." Hermione stated.

"Your name?" Umbridge asked, rather rudely, with raised eyebrows.

"Hermione Granger."

"Miss Granger, I believe that course aims are made perfectly clear, if you read through them well and carefully."

Hermione pursed her lips slightly and shook her head, "I disagree, there's nothing here about _using _defensive spells."

There was silence and many students turned to see the course aims on the board. Professor Umbridge stepped out from her desk, "_Using _defensive spells? I'm afraid I don't understand why you would feel the need to use a defensive spell in the classroom, Miss Granger. You don't think you'll get attacked in one of my classes do you?"

"We're not going to use magic?" Ron exclaimed.

"Student need to raise their hand when they wish to speak in my class and you will do well to remember that, Mr-?"

"Weasley." Ron glared at Professor Umbridge when she smirked at him, her lip curling. She turned away and pointed to Hermione.

"Yes Ms Granger, you wish to say something more?"

This continued for a while. Students were incredulous that they were supposed to pass their O. without ever practising the defensive spells beforehand. But Umbridge was insisting the same thing, "As long as you've practised and revised the theory enough, defensive spells should be no problem-"

"What good would the theory be out in the real world?" Harry said loudly.

"This is school, Mr Potter, not the real world." Umbridge replied, the lines on her forehead becoming more and more prominent.

"And what about what's waiting for us out there? Shouldn't we be slightly prepared?" Harry asked, his temper had reached boiling point.

"And what exactly is waiting for you _out there_?" Umbridge mocked.

"Lord Voldemort."

The effect of those two words was shocking. Lavender gave out a little scream, Parvati covered her open mouth, Ron and Hermione gasped while the rest just shuddered.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr Potter." Umbridge said in a dangerous sugary voice, "Now let me make this quite clear. You have been told that a Dark wizard has returned from the dead-"

"He wasn't _dead._" Harry interrupted angrily, his hands shaking, "But he _has_ returned."

"Mr Potter, you have already lost your house ten points, do not make matters worse. As I was saying, you have been told that a Dark wizard is back from the dead. _This is a lie._ And I'll have you know Mr Potter, that I do not tolerate that sort of nonsense in my classroom."

"Oh really? So what sort of nonsense do you allow? Do you allow the Ministry of Magic to lie to the _entire _wizarding community, just so you and Fudge can save the skins on your backs?"

"How dare you falsely accuse the Minister of such a thing?"

"It's not a false accusation. Your Ministry is beyond corrupt. Your Ministry imprisoned Sirius Black for a crime he didn't commit. Your Ministry has forgotten that Cedric Diggory's death wasn't a tragic accident as you like to sugar-coat it. It was murder. Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort. Don't you _dare _deny it." Harry bristled with anger. His face was turning redder and all patience was lost.

Hermione and Ron exchanged nervous glances. The entire class was gazing at Harry, some with wonder and others with a mixture of shock and scorn.

"Come here please, Mr Potter." Umbridge beckoned.

Harry kicked his chair aside and walked to her desk. She took a piece of pink parchment, wrote a note and sealed it carefully. She then handed it to him, "Take this to Professor McGonagall please. You will have detention with me tomorrow evening at five o'clock. I cannot tolerate this kind of behaviour. The rest of you, continue reading. And you," she pointed one chubby finger at Harry, "_Go!_"

Harry stuffed his books in his bag and stormed out of the classroom. His head was still hot, but he felt slightly calmer as he speed-walked to McGonagall's office. He knocked three times and she pulled it open and looked at him with surprise.

"What are you doing here Potter?"

"I was sent to you, Professor."

"Sent? What do you mean you were _sent _to me?" McGonagall asked.

Harry gave her the note, McGonagall's frowned when she saw the pink paper, "Come inside Potter."

He followed her inside and sat down when she gestured. McGonagall took a seat too and unsealed the pink note, "Is this true?"

"I don't know what it says."

McGonagall looked down at the note, "It says that you yelled at Umbridge, told everyone that You-Know-Who is back and accused the Ministry of lying."

"Yes, it's true."

"Have a biscuit, Potter." McGonagall said, placing a tin of biscuits in front of him.

"Have-wait, what?"

"Have a biscuit." McGonagall repeated, with a smile.

Harry bit a Ginger Newt and chewed it slowly. Professor McGonagall sighed, "Potter you need to be a bit more careful and composed. Misbehaving in Dolores Umbridge's classes could get you in to a lot more trouble than losing house points and gaining detention."

"You mean the fact that she's a spy for the Ministry?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. The Ministry is being… difficult. They refuse point-blank to believe you and Dumbledore and have some stupid idea that Dumbledore is saying all this to attract attention and gain power. Dolores Umbridge is reporting back and forth to the Minister of Magic himself and she's keeping tabs on everyone, teachers included. _Especially _those who are close to Dumbledore. That's why the Order has to be kept a secret."

Harry nodded, "Okay. What about my lessons with Mum and Dad?"

"I was going to talk to you and Miss Weasley about that actually. You'll be going to home for the weekends. Umbridge doesn't need to know why. Some days, Miss Granger and Mr Weasley will come with you too, just so it doesn't look to suspicious."

"Thanks Professor!"

"That's quite alright. Another thing that you need to work on is controlling your temper. You can't keep shouting at her like this, she'll only take advantage of the fact and keep bringing up the same subject, very subtly, just to get you riled up."

"I'll work on it." Harry nodded.

"The note also says that you'll be receiving detention every day this week."

"WHAT?" Harry exploded, "Professor couldn't you-?"

McGonagall shook her head, "I'm sorry, but she is your teacher and she does have the right to give you detention. Just don't give her the reason to give you anymore."

"Not like she needs it." Harry muttered and McGonagall cracked a small smile.

"Alright Potter. Remember what I told you."

"Yeah, thanks Professor. Bye."

Harry picked up his bag and walked out of McGonagall's office, heading for dinner. It was nice to know that the Head of his House was on his side. He just hoped that he could control his temper, at least in front of that awful, wretched toad.

* * *

The rest of the week went by quicker. Mainly because Harry now knew what to expect: gruelling lessons, detention with Umbridge and then finishing the homework they always seemed to have.

In Transfiguration, they learnt Vanishing spells, where they had to Vanish snails. Harry was able to Vanish the whole snail, much to his surprise. They practised Summoning Charms in Charms class, which to Professor Flitwick's delight; Harry managed perfectly, all thanks to his "training" last year, before the First Task in the Triwizard Tournament. Care of Magical Creatures turned out to be (Harry admitted grudgingly), quite interesting. To the Gryffindor's dismay, Hagrid wasn't back. So Malfoy, for the first time in a while, took the chance to taunt Harry about Hagrid's absence, "Maybe the big dope got himself injured messing around with stuff that was too big for him." This made it clear that Hagrid had gone to look for giants, which didn't make the trio any less nervous.

Still Malfoy hadn't been irritating Harry as much. Also whenever Voldemort was mentioned or anything about his followers were, Malfoy suddenly became stiff and his grey eyes became even colder.

Detention with Umbridge turned out to be more painful than Harry had expected. She was making him write lines, which wouldn't have been so bad if she hadn't made him use the Blood Quill, which Harry was sure was illegal. The words he wrote on paper bore into his hand and the cut got deeper each day. The words were '_I must not tell lies.' _When Harry had first used the quill, he'd gasped as he felt the words etching on to his skin. Her smile was a mix of twisted pleasure and glee which just showed what a sadistic, evil cow she was. It lessened his opinion of her, not that it was so good in the first place, of course. By the end of the first session, his hand was red, raw and bleeding. The pain was awful.

By the end of the week his hand was incredibly sore. He doubted whether the scar would go. Angelina had almost blown a nerve when she had found out Harry had detention. Ron made Keeper and Harry was incredibly happy although Angelina had told him that he wasn't perfect.

He knew his Mum and Dad would want to be kept up to date on his schoolwork and such so he wrote a letter late Friday night.

_Dear All,_

_I hope you're all well. The first week back has been awfully busy. I think my whole class is glad it's the weekend. I had no idea that they make you work this hard in your O.W.L year. It sucks._

_Not to mention the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. I don't know what to say except she's nearly as nice as Sirius' mum. I'm sure that'll give it away. Her name's Dolores Jane Umbridge and she "used" to work for Fudge. She gave me detention._

_Ginny, Hermione and Ron are all fine although they're pretty much exhausted too. There's a new fifth year student. Her name is Allisa O'Connor. She seems really nice._

_Another weird thing is that Malfoy has been less…evil lately. Do you know what's going on?_

_We've been piled with homework so I'm sorry I don't have time to write anymore. I'll write soon though._

_Love, _

_Harry._

* * *

The next morning he went up to the Owlery to send the letter. Cho came in a minute later when he had just finished tying the letter to Hedwig's leg. She flew off after nipping his finger lightly and casting a slightly disgusted look at Cho.

"Hi Harry."

Harry grinned, "Hey Cho, how are you?"

"I'm good. I didn't think anyone would be up this early. I just remembered, it's my mum's birthday."

Harry smiled at her and nodded, "Well, I'm going to go to breakfast. See you around."

He was about to leave when the doorway was blocked by Argus Filch who looked at Harry with disdain.

"You've been caught red-handed boy! Give me that order form for the Dungbombs." Filch shouted.

Harry looked at him, shocked, "I didn't order any."

"Don't lie to me, Mr Potter!" Filch said, poking his chest, "Give me the darn letter."

Harry shrugged, feeling rather pleased that he'd sent it in the nick of time, "I can't, I've already sent it."

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"Because I saw him send it." Cho told him coldly.

"You saw him send the letter?" Filch repeated.

"That's right, I did."

Filch left the Owlery after glaring at both of them, muttering under his breath.

Harry smiled at Cho, "Thanks, I wonder why he thought I was ordering Dungbombs."

"I don't know either. Well, see you later Harry." Cho smiled and waved before leaving him.

He stood there for a few minutes before leaving for breakfast, wondering who on Earth had told Filch that he was ordering Dungbombs.

**A/N: You know how it is. I just have to say something here.**

**Firstly, I want to reply to some anon reviewers. Please login or join to review because your reviews are so sweet and I'd love to thank you...and give you sneak peeks ;)**

Adith-**Thank you so much and believe me I want to, however school life really prevents me from doing so. Living in hostel means going as per the schedule and I only get about an hour on the laptop on weekdays, which generally means that I have to do the internet related homework. It's kind of sucky, but I am going to try. Ahaha, thank you for the suggestion, I'll give it a shot :D Thank you for all your support. It means a looot :)**

RedVines98-**Hi :D Thank you so much, I'm really glad you liked it!**

hallow better than horcux-**Thank you for your review then, and I'm glad you enjoyed it! I will try. :D Thank you for your support :)**

**Secondly, like I said last time, Dramione fics are absolutely incredible. If you haven't tried to read them, READ THEM! And if you have any recommendations, please let me know. :)**

**Thirdly, I created a blog with all the pictures in my story. The link is on my profile page so any new pictures and I'll update the blog. I makes it easier because there are fewer links on my profile XD**

**Also, I've been doing lots of thinking, and I'm wondering who has to die (Yeah people have to die sadly) in the story. I don't want to kill Sirius or Dumbledore, but I've been thinking...So I'm going to put a poll...on whether or not Dumbledore should die. I'm guessing the answer for Sirius will mainly be a no, so I'll see what I can do :)**

**Finally...**

**You know what to do. :P Leave me a review, just a little one...with maybe 'WHAT ON EARTH IS WRONG WITH YOU WOMAN! UPDATE SOONER' or a comment about the chapter and I'll give you a little peek into the next one. :D**

**You guys can take this as my early Christmas present :)**

**I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, full of presents and joy and laughter! And a very Happy New Year! :)**

**Much love (and don't forget to review! :P)**

**Ishani**


	34. Chapter 34:Weekends, Training & Umbridge

**A/N: Happy New Year Ladies and Gentlemen :D I bet you're surprised to see that I updated so soon, but it's one of my new year's resolutions :) So school starts again in a few days, which means I'll have a ridiculously busy once again, but I will make time to update; never fear! I hope you like this chapter because I had loads of fun writing it. On to the story now...Happy reading :)**

**Disclaimer: Do I own Harry Potter? Nope, not yet. Maybe one day though...*grins evilly* Probably not even then, but I can dream can't I?**

Chapter 34: Weekends, Training and Umbridge

After breakfast, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Allisa headed back to the Common Room as they all needed to do their homework. This made Harry incredibly irritated because he'd barely been able to spend time with Ginny because of his detentions with Umbridge. Sometimes she kept him there till midnight and it was always Harry's loyal friends who stayed up for him, waiting.

Harry plonked himself down on the sofa and spread his homework out around him. He still had to finish half of Snape's essay and start Umbridge's. They sat like this for almost two hours. Then, exhausted, they sat up and congratulated each other on finishing everything.

"You know, I don't remember seeing Fred and George work like you guys are in their OWL year," Ginny commented.

Ron stretched his arms, "That's probably because they didn't, but, honestly, fifth year sucks. I've never done homework first thing on a Saturday morning. It's just sad."

Neville nodded, and Harry lifted a hand to rub his eyes when Hermione's sharp eyes caught the sore, red cut.

"Harry, what is that?" Hermione asked, with a shocked gasp.

Harry suddenly realised what had happened and he hid his hand, "Nothing, it's just a rash."

Hermione wasn't sure if she believed him, "You wouldn't lie to me, would you Harry?"

"No, of course not," Harry said, with a small smile, but he didn't meet her eyes.

Ginny grabbed his hand and rubbed it, frowning when he winced horribly, "Harry, this looks really painful."

Harry sighed, knowing he couldn't lie to both of them. "It's fine, I'll go to Madam Pomfrey in a little while."

Allisa frowned as she sensed that this wasn't a topic Harry wanted to talk about, "So, what do you guys want to do now?"

Neville shrugged, "Professor Sprout wanted to talk to me, so I'm going to go down to the greenhouses."

Allisa nodded, "I'll come with you. I could use a walk."

Waving to the others they left.

"So, who wants to continue with the Animagus forms?" Ron asked softly.

"That'd be nice, actually." Hermione smiled, looking at Harry.

"Alright, how about we use McGonagall's classroom? I know she won't mind," Harry suggested.

They followed Harry to McGonagall's office where she was sitting, marking some essays.

"Hello, and what can I do for you four? You're not in trouble, are you?" McGonagall asked.

"Always expect the worst of us, don't you?" Ron grumbled.

"Well, seeing as I know who you're related to, it doesn't seem to surprise me when you do break rules."

"Anyway, we wanted to work on our Animagus forms," Hermione said.

"That's right; Lily did tell me that you had taken the potion too. So, which animals did you see?" McGonagall enquired.

"An eagle," Hermione replied.

"A horse," Ron told her.

"I saw three," Ginny smiled softly, "A doe, a fox and a raven."

"Well done, you three. Well, you know the order I suppose, so I'll just let you get on with it. You can use my office, just enlarge it. Let me know if you need any help. I have a meeting with Professor Dumbledore." McGonagall smiled and left the office after enlarging it and putting a silencing charm on it.

The four teens got to work. Harry attempted to change his hands into wolf paws, and when he got them to change, he tried his feet. Ginny, Ron and Hermione tried very hard to get their left arms to change, but after an hour of nothing, they gave up.

Heading down to lunch, all laughing and joking, looking forward to what was left of the weekend.

He told Hermione and Ron to go on ahead, and Hermione did so with a soft smile and Ron followed after giving them a suspicious look.

He pinned her against the wall and wrapped his arms around her waist, "I really missed you this week, Gin."

And he had, because between all the homework, lessons and detentions, he had barely had enough time to spend with her, and those short pecks between lessons really hadn't been satisfying enough for either of them. He missed everything about her; her laugh, her smile, her eyes, and he smiled softly as she cupped his face in her hands.

"I missed you too, Harry." Ginny sighed softly as he bent down for a kiss. Her hands slipped around his neck whilst his hands feasted in her fiery locks. Their lips moulded together. Ginny stood on her tiptoes as he slipped his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss. Her body was on fire and she nibbled gently on his bottom lip causing him to groan. She'd missed him so much all week; her emotions went haywire as she poured all her need into the kiss.

They pulled apart breathing heavily, and Harry rested his forehead against hers looking into her eyes he sighed and smiled, "Wow."

Ginny giggled and then blushed when she saw Professor Reed.

"Oh, hello, Professor." Ginny cleared her throat and nudged Harry in the stomach to stop his silent giggles.

"Harry, Ginny, you know the rules about public displays of affection in the corridors." Professor Andrew Reed was having trouble trying to keep his voice sounding strict.

Harry grinned at him, "Right, sorry, Professor.

"Oh sure, you look apologetic. C'mon, get to lunch you two."

And they did, very quickly, giggling along the way.

* * *

The next week was as bad as the first one, if not worse. Quidditch practices had started but practices were awful, mainly because Ron was so nervous he often ended up injuring the other players. He was more nervous, of course, because the Slytherins always watching their practices and criticising them for no reason.

Ron also received a letter from Percy, much to everyone's surprise. It arrived by the night post and congratulated Ron on becoming a Prefect. It held no apology, of course, and didn't enquire the health of anyone in the family. It just demanded that Ron stay away from Harry and praised Dolores Umbridge. Enraged, Ron tore the letter and started badmouthing Percy. He didn't let Ginny read it, but she guessed what it was about and was all for sending a very "strongly worded reply", but together they were able to calm her down.

To make matters worse about Umbridge, she had recently been made Hogwarts High Inquisitor. According to the _Daily Prophet _she had been an '**immediate success**', which all the students found surprising, because they certainly didn't think so. This meant that she would be inspecting all the classes.

The first class that Harry was in which she inspected was Divination, and he watched Umbridge ask Professor Trelawney questions about when she was appointed and who appointed her. When Umbridge asked her to predict something, Trelawney gave her the prediction that something bad was going to happen to her, which didn't impress Umbridge much.

Umbridge's classes were as agonizing as ever. Hermione was adamant that this book wasn't going to be enough for them to master the spells they were supposed to learn and often voiced her opinion. Umbridge docked points from Gryffindor, which caused Harry to get involved. This landed him with another week's worth of detention.

When Angelina found out he had detention again, she almost screamed the place down. McGonagall's reaction was a bit better. She gave him a reminder to control his temper, and then took five points from Gryffindor.

Umbridge got what she deserved when she inspected McGonagall's class. McGonagall, in her "polite", sarcastic way told Umbridge to shut up and let her get on with her lesson, which the fifth year Gryffindor students found highly amusing.

The detentions continued to the end of the week, Harry's hand held the words '_I must not tell lies' _that were so clear, he didn't quite know how to hide it.

Friday evening, after dinner when Ginny, Harry, Hermione and Ron were talking about anything and nothing, Ginny noticed the words that had been etched onto his hand.

"What in the name of Merlin is this? Harry, you told us it was a rash!" Ginny exclaimed, taking the sore hand in her own and rubbing it gently.

Ron and Hermione gasped, "Mate, how the hell did this happen?"

Harry sighed, "I have to do lines with Umbridge and she's…"

"Making you do lines with the Blood Quill?" Hermione guessed.

Harry nodded and Ron frowned, "Meaning?"

"I write the words on paper without any ink and they carve themselves onto my skin, and the words come out on paper in my blood," Harry explained slowly.

He winced as he was cuffed on the head by both Hermione and Ginny.

"Why haven't you told anyone?" Hermione asked.

"I don't want to let her know she's got to me. Then it'll be her winning," Harry said with a shrug.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ginny demanded.

"It's like a challenge, either I shut up and let her paint me out as a liar, or I tell the truth and get punished, watching her grinning sardonically, as if she's daring me to snitch."

Ginny shook her head, "That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

Ron slapped his forehead muttering, "Git."

And Hermione shook her head too, "What. An. Idiot."

"Hey!" Harry exclaimed.

"Don't you hey me, Harry James Potter. This is so dumb! She's hurting you. For the love of Merlin, Blood Quills are _illegal_! This isn't a mind game; she's just being a hypocritical cow. And you're going to tell Lily and James tomorrow when we see them. Do I make myself clear?" Ginny ordered, with her hands on her hips.

"I-" Harry started and looked at Ginny's quirked eyebrow and Hermione and Ron's fierce expressions, realising that they were right and that there was absolutely no point in arguing. He nodded, "Yeah, crystal.

"Good," She pecked his lips and Hermione hugged him, looking very disappointed, "I can't believe you lied to me!"

Harry felt awful, "I know 'Mione. I'm sorry, but I didn't want you to worry."

Hermione threw her hands up in the air in exasperation, "You need to stop this self-sacrificing, noble crap that you pull all the time. We love you. We care about you. And we will still worry about you no matter how much you try to hide all this stuff from us. Besides, the more you hide, the MORE we will worry!"

Harry nodded sheepishly and Ron grinned, "At least one thing's confirmed, though."

"What?" Ginny asked.

"Umbridge is a bitch," Ron stated and everyone agreed.

Hermione laughed, "That gave me another nickname idea."

Harry raised his eyebrows, "You mean besides pink toad."

Hermione nodded, "How about Umbitch?"

Ginny, Harry and Ron exchanged surprised glances before roaring with laughter. Um_bitch_ indeed.

* * *

The next day, Ginny and Harry were taken to Dumbledore's office where they used the Floo to get to Potter Manor. The couple were greeted by Remus, Sirius, James and Lily, who had been waiting for them very eagerly.

Lily pulled Harry in for a hug and when he wrapped an arm around Ginny's waist she caught sight of the sore cut on Harry's hand. Lifting it up, she saw the words and swore.

"What the hell is this? James, Sirius, Remus! Look at this," Lily demanded, looking at Harry, scrutinising his face.

Remus frowned, "This looks like a Blood Quill."

James' eyes darkened, "Explain. Now!"

With an encouraging nod from Ginny, he started telling them about Umbitch (yes, he used that word) and how she had given him detentions every night for two weeks, forcing him to write 'I will not tell lies' with the Blood Quill.

"Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you tell us?" Lily asked.

Ginny shook her head, "Because he's a prat. He was being _noble._"

"Noble? What the hell, Harry? These quills are fucking illegal! And, after we finish with our lesson, the four of us will be going to Umbitch to teach her a lesson. What a fucking cow!" James ranted angrily.

"Hell, yeah," Sirius said, punching the air. No one messed with his family!

"Calm down, James and _watch your language_," Lily said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, even though inside, she too was seething with anger. She turned to Harry, "You, Mister, are in deep shit. Your grandma's going to know about this too. She's taken the twins to The Burrow. They like it there. Now come on."

Lily led them to the library. The seats, beanbags and couches had been pushed back.

"We're going to teach you about the four elements first," she told Ginny and Harry.

Harry was puzzled. "Ginny too?"

Ginny smiled sheepishly, "I couldn't get around to telling you, Harry. I'm an Inferno."

Harry let out a yelp of surprise and pulled his girlfriend in for a hug. "That's great." Then they turned to Lily.

"So, we're going to teach you about the four elements. We'll start off with one today and then next weekend we'll do two and then the weekend after that we'll do the last one, and then practise other skills, like clairvoyance," Lily told them.

"Each element represents a season, a direction, colours, tools, a time of day and senses. Each element also has personality traits, zodiac signs, plants and animals that represent it." Remus said.

James nodded, "Earth represents strength and stability. It is the foundation of everything. Its direction is North and the colours are black, brown and green. Now, Ginny will be able to 'control' all four elements and she will have three which answer to her call the fastest. Normally, Harry, you'd have one, but you have more power than most, so you will probably have two. Based on your Animagus forms, I think it'll probably be Earth and either Air or Fire."

Sirius grinned, "Based on what I was told by James and Lily, each element has a colour. The four elements are believed to have some sort of ruling on our lives."

"It's a Wiccan saying: _Air moves us, Fire transforms us, Water shapes us and Earth heals us._" Remus continued, "Each element has personality traits. It's what you read when you read your horoscope. It's to do with the alignment of the planets, so Astrology and Astronomy play a part in this."

Lily smiled, "Back to Earth now. Earth's energy can be summoned from any Earth based sources, for example: sand, stone, salt, clay and crystal. The time of day Earth's energy is strongest is midnight." She laughed at the awestruck and slightly overwhelmed looks on Harry and Ginny's faces, "Don't worry, we'll give you guys a written copy of all this, and tons of reading material."

"Great, more homework!" Harry mock-groaned

"So what you need to do is pretty simple, theoretically, at least. Since Earth is the foundation of everything, it'll be easier for you to harness because it surrounds us. The way to properly harness an element the first time is to meditate. So sit down and fold your legs and sit facing North as that's the direction Earth's energy comes from," James explained.

"Now, close your eyes and breathe deeply, and make sure that your body is relaxed completely. Keep breathing deeply. Now, picture a gate in your mind. It can be built of any material, but manifestations of the Earth element are normally found in the metals of iron and lead," Sirius said softly

Both Ginny and Harry's minds pictured a rusty iron gate. Ginny's was black and green, whereas Harry's was black and brown. Neither one was elaborate. Both had tall spikes and a latch.

As their breathing steadied, Lily continued in a voice as soft as a whisper, "Focus on opening the gate now. Would you like it to disappear? Would you like it to swing backwards or forwards? Would you like it to lift upwards? Keep your breathing steady and move forward; look around the place it takes you to."

* * *

Ginny was in a beautiful forest. Trees towered above her. She could smell the fresh mud. She looked down at herself and to her surprise she was wearing a dark green dress. Her hair had been pulled up in an elegant twist with some white spray carnations that were placed on her head in a circle, like a halo. She was walking barefoot. As she was walking further, gazing overhead at the beautiful canopy and listening to the sounds of the nearby animals, she saw a figure in the distance.

Ginny walked quicker and quicker and the figure changed all of a sudden to two balls of bright white light. She gasped and as she reached out to touch them, there was a blinding flash. Ginny was lifted in the air a few feet and brought back down. The white light had gone and now there stood and bull and a female Dryad. They were both bowing to her, and to her surprise, Ginny found she knew exactly what to say. She brought one hand forward and greeted both of them and introduced herself.

Suddenly, she was forced to open her eyes, which were blazing with power. Surprised, she saw the two white balls of light in front of her.

* * *

Harry was in a meadow. The grass was tall and there were many sweet-smelling flowers that surrounded him. There were hills nearby, and the delicious green colour almost made his mouth water. He realised that his clothes had changes. He was wearing all white; white shirt and white trousers and he was barefoot. He felt the grass tickle his feet and smelt the air, so clean, fresh and inviting. His pace quickened when he noticed a dark figure in the distance.

Harry practically ran towards the figure. Then, when he was near enough to see what it was, he realised it was a green ball of light. It had a rhythmic pulse that mirrored his own. He extended a hand towards it and was lifted off his feet, into the air. Harry gasped as the power coursed through him and warmed every inch of his being. He could feel the energy alive inside of him, having woken up from a deep slumber. It was vibrating with a renewed vibe. He was placed back on his feet and he saw, to his astonishment, that the green light had been replaced by a majestic lion bowing to him. He greeted the lion and introduced himself.

His eyes opened and he saw the green ball of light bobbing up and down in front of him.

* * *

Lily, James, Sirius and Remus watched as both Harry and Ginny were lifted off their feet. They could feel the immense power radiating from them, filling the room with heat and energy, releasing a positive vibe that bounced off all the walls and warmed their bodies.

James, Sirius and Remus had never seen this before and were awestruck.

After a few minutes, when Ginny and Harry both opened their eyes simultaneously, the four of them were mesmerised by the energy their eyes crackled with.

Harry's emerald green had become darker and had flecks of black and brown. They seemed to crackle with gold. Ginny's too had darkened and the pools of chocolate they once were had become deeper and deeper. Golden sparks ignited her eyes and the sheer might they portrayed was breath-taking.

Lily smiled at the pair of them, "Did you feel it?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah."

"That was exhilarating!" Ginny exclaimed, "I didn't expect to feel so…" She trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Powerful?" Remus suggested and she smiled and nodded.

"What do we do with these?" Harry asked, pointing to the balls of light.

"They revealed themselves to you already, didn't they?" James asked.

Ginny and Harry nodded.

"Well, now you have to tell them to show themselves to us, or we won't be able to see them. You'll also have to give them names." Lily smiled.

Ginny nodded and turned to the balls of light in front of her. _Show yourself. _She ordered and Sirius and James fist bumped as they saw a magnificent bull and a beautiful Dryad.

"Atta girl, Gin!" Sirius exclaimed, ruffling her hair.

Harry too turned to his Guardian and asked him to reveal himself and he did so. The regal lion stood in front of everyone.

"How do we think of a name?" Ginny asked.

"Just imagine them in your head. When you first saw them, you instantly knew what to say, what to do. The same will happen for the names," Lily explained.

Harry smiled at his mum before closing his eyes and imagining his lion with the golden mane and golden body, and it suddenly hit him.

He spoke to the lion in his mind, his eyes still closed.

"_Your name is Oro. It means 'gold' in Italian."_

He watched as the lion bowed his head and replied, _"As you wish, Master."_

Harry told Oro to tell his family his name, and when he complied, Harry grinned at James with a smile.

James turned to Ginny, "Gin, it's your turn."

Ginny nodded and closed her eyes, taking three deep breaths before she was cast back into the forest. Both the Dryad and bull bowed when they saw her and she asked them to rise.

She watched the Dryad for a moment. Her beauty was breath-taking and she looked strong, fierce and resilient. Tough and womanly, Ginny knew the Dryad would always be reliable; the shoulder to cry on when Ginny felt sad and the strong pillar who would stand by her when Ginny felt weak.

Ginny smiled at the Dryad before speaking to her, _"Your name is Briana. It is Celtic for 'strong'."_

_Briana smiled, "Thank you, Mistress Ginevra."_

She shook her head_, "I'd like it if you just call me Ginny. Both of you."_

_They nodded and Ginny smiled._ She turned to watch the bull paw the ground. His strength was frightening. He would keep her safe and secure.

She reached out to pat the bull on the head, _"Your name is Alec," _She said in her mind, _"It is English for 'defender of mankind.'" _

"_Thank you, Ginny." Alec bowed to her._

"_Please introduce yourselves to my…family."_

Lily, James, Harry, Remus and Sirius were introduced to Alec and Briana.

Lily smiled, "Now send them away. Make sure you practice calling them. It's not easy, and in time you won't have to keep going to a meadow, forest or valley to find them. They do a lot, as protectors and as guardians. They deliver messages; do homework and pretty much everything else, as long as you have the information in your head. All they do it extract it."

"That's great, that's a load off of my back, then." Harry grinned. He dismissed his Guardian and turned to his parents, rubbing his stomach, "Can we have lunch now?"

* * *

After a large and lavish lunch, Lily, James, Sirius and Remus took Harry and Ginny back to Hogwarts. True to their words, they marched up to Umbridge's office and entered without knocking. Harry and Ginny watched as Lily greeted Umbridge.

"How may I help you, Lily?" Umbridge asked sweetly.

Lily gave her a menacing one in return, "I found out that you've been forcing my son to use the Blood Quill in detentions. Do you not know that Blood Quills are illegal? Yeah, I thought so. So why the hell have you been making my son use them? I wonder what the Ministry would think if I were to report you."

Umbridge gave Lily a scathing look, one that angered James so much, he had to restrain himself from strangling her, "They won't believe you. You're the parent of a boy the Minister of Magic believes to be a liar."

"Oh to hell with the Minister," Lily snapped, very near losing her patience, "We happen to be very well acquainted with the Minister for Magic-"

"Lily," Umbridge spat, "Your son has been spreading lies, unnecessarily scaring other students. He accused the Ministry of lying to its people and I am afraid that is something I cannot tolerate."

"My son is not a liar, and before you accuse him of being so, you need to get your facts straight," James told her with gritted teeth.

Remus nodded, "We don't want to hear that you've been forcing any student to use the Blood Quill."

Umbridge's lip curled, "Don't talk to me, you useless mutant."

Ginny swore underneath her breath, Harry's fists clenched and James, who had been about to punch Umbridge, had to be held back by Sirius, Remus and Lily. To everyone's surprise Sirius kept his cool and said, "It's better to be a mutant than to be a sad, bitchy, hypocritical cow like you are."

Lily grinned at Sirius before facing Umbridge and glaring at her, "If news reaches us, that you're making any student use the Blood Quill, you won't have to worry about Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore or the wretched Ministry. You'll have to answer to us, and I'll tell you right now, we won't let this go easy. I hope I make myself clear."

"Is that a threat, Lily?" Umbridge asked as they all started to leave.

Lily laughed and shook her head as the others left the room, "Oh no, that's a promise. Oh and erm, Um_bitch_, that's Mrs Potter to you."

**A/N: I do love myself a good Umbridge bashing, and there will be more to come so stay tuned :D So what did you think of that then? Lily sure knows how to kick ass :) As always, I do have a few things to say...**

**First and foremost, I'd like to wish all my readers a safe, happy and prosperous new year. Let's hope the world doesn't end before I get to finish my story :P You really made mine this year with all of your support. So a huge thank you and a great biiiig hug to all of you :)**

**Secondly, there's a poll on my profile to see how many of you would like Dumbledore to die. So far I think most people don't so I have a plan (which I obviously won't divulge). But please do vote as it's really important in the story.**

**Thirdly, I wanted to ask which character is your favourite so far? I've been asked to build up Arya and Iris' characters and I will be doing that...they just have to be a little older. But they do play a very important part. You can let me know your answer in your review. Or if you don't want to do that...PM me :)**

**Fourthly, I'd like to thank my Beta Ginny Guerra for being an absolute star! :D You're amaazing :) Thank you, thank you, thank you! **

**Finally, please do review as I'd love to know what your thoughts were on this chapter, especially the training. :) There's more of this to come..Reviews get teasers as per usual. A huge thank you once again for all your support so far. Best wishes for a brilliant and magical new year! **

**Love,**

**Ishani**


	35. Chapter 35:Ideas, Lessons and Allisa

**A/N: Hola :) How is everyone? As promised, I am updating as soon as possible. I wante to update a week ago but school's been chaotic and this won't stop till the end of the academic year. There are 30 days till my Mocks and I'm freaking out, so writing has been my escape :D A huge thank you for all the superb support :) It puts a giant, cheesy grin on my face. This chapter will give you a little bit more information about Allisa, so I'll save my blabber for the bottom XD Happy reading :)**

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing. **

Chapter 35: Ideas, Lessons and Allisa.

"And then Lily says, 'no, that's a promise, and, Um_bitch,_ that's Mrs Potter to you." Ginny laughed as they finished telling Neville, Allisa, Hermione and Ron about what had happened when the Marauders found out about the Blood Quill. They laughed very hard and complimented the Marauders a lot.

"Well, it looks like Lily was severely pissed off," Ron commented, "When you next write to them, tell her good job and thanks from me." He grinned as he was fist-bumped by Neville.

Then, when Harry saw Hermione looking slightly nervous, he asked, "What's wrong, Hermione?"

"Well, nothing's wrong exactly, it's just, now she won't make you use the Blood Quill, but she'll take her revenge by making everything even more theoretical, if that's possible, I mean. It's not just about passing OWLs, it's like Harry said in one of Umbitch's classes; we aren't preparing ourselves for what's out there," Hermione explained, "And I think it's time that we just do it ourselves."

Ron was gaping at her, "Hermione, are you ok?"

She shrugged, "It's not as though Fudge is going to let us get rid of her anytime soon, and Dumbledore obviously can't. So that only leaves us with one option, to learn Defence Against the Dark Arts ourselves."

Ron groaned, "But that's just more homework!"

Hermione shook her head, "This is much more important." And when she saw the rest of them stare at her in shock, she rolled her eyes, "_What_?"

Neville smiled, "You're right, Hermione, as usual. But we need a teacher, a proper one; someone who knows how to use spells and can show us. Everyone's busy. Professor Lupin is in the Order, and I don't think Umbridge would be pleased if she saw him here."

"I'm not talking about Lupin. He's too busy with Order work and we'll only be able to see him on the weekends when we have Hogsmeade trips," Hermione replied.

Ginny had caught on, "I see where you're going with this."

Harry shook his head, "I'm still clueless."

Apparently Ron wasn't, "Don't you get it, mate? She's talking about you!"

"Me?" Harry asked, "Me doing what?"

Ginny smiled, squeezing his hand, "You teaching us Defence Against the Dark Arts."

Harry's mouth dropped open and he looked from Ginny to Ron, from Ron to Hermione, from Hermione to Neville and from Neville to Allisa, trying to find one person who found the idea as crazy as he did. But everyone was smiling, evidently thinking that it was a good idea.

"But…I'm not a teacher."

"Oh come off it. You're the best in the year at Defence Against the Dark Arts. Probably the best in the school, actually. I mean you could produce a proper Patronus in third year. How many other students do you know who can do that?" Ron raised his eyebrows.

"Me?" Harry asked again, "I'm not the best, 'Mione's beaten me in every test."

Hermione shook her head, "You beat me in third year and that's the only year that counts, because that's the only year we had a competent teacher. Besides, it's not the marks that are important, it's what you've accomplished, what you've done!"

"What have I done?"

Allisa's mouth dropped open, "You have got to be kidding me."

Ginny laughed, "Yeah, you'll get used to his overly-modest ways. Hmm, here's a real brainteaser: what has Harry Potter done?" She said sarcastically.

"First year, you saved the Philosopher's Stone from You-Know-Who," Neville began.

"I had loads of help, I couldn't have—" Harry said

"Second year, you saved me and all the Muggle-borns from Tom Riddle, risking your life, down in the Chamber of Secrets," Ginny interrupted him.

"But if Fawkes hadn't turned up I—"

Ron raised his voice slightly, "Third year, you fought off round about a hundred Dementors."

"That was a fluke, I mean if it hadn't been for Hermione and the Time-Turner—"

Ron continued, his voice still raised, "Last year, you fought off You-Know-Who again."

Harry stood up, "Listen to me, you guys. When you put it like that, everything sounds amazing, like I'm a hero, but it was all a lie. I had people helping me half the time, and the other half, I didn't know what the hell I was doing." He didn't understand why they were still smiling, "You guys don't know what it's like. You don't know how it is, when you have to face him. It's like nothing else you'll every experience. When you're standing there, in front of him, a second away from death or…or from watching a friend die, you don't have the time to remember a long, complicated spell. It's not like class, when you can try again tomorrow. It's do or die, or be tortured to insanity. You saying all these things, doesn't make me clever, it doesn't make Cedric dumb. It just makes me lucky. The fact that I have other powers makes me lucky. The fact that I have friends and family who are willing to risk their lives to save my arse makes me lucky. That's all it is."

Hermione and Ginny sniffed and they both grabbed Harry's hand and Hermione nodded. "You're right, Harry, we don't know how it is, to be a second away from death and escape and live to tell the tale. We don't know what it's like to face V-Voldemort."

Harry turned to look at her. She had tears in her eyes as she realised how hard it must all be for him. He squeezed her hand and she smiled at him a bit. Harry nodded, "Just you guys then, right?"

Ron shrugged, "We were thinking we'd let anyone who's interested join."

"But everyone thinks I'm an attention seeking liar."

"Not everyone, Harry. A lot of people are just afraid of what will happen if they say they believe you."

"I'll think about it." Harry nodded.

Hermione smiled, "Thank you, Harry. I was thinking that we could meet any one who is interested in Hogsmeade."

"That sounds alright 'Mione. I'll think about it, I promise."

Ron and Hermione nodded and then they left along with Allisa and Neville.

Harry turned to Ginny, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Ginny cupped his face in her hands and smiled, "Harry, you're a natural when it comes to fighting _them._ Whether it's from experience or whether it's in your blood, you're a natural, and I think Hermione's right in saying that we need a good teacher."

Harry nodded, "Well, if you're sure." Then he leaned down to capture her lips in a kiss.

* * *

The next two weeks were as busy as the first two in terms of homework, although Harry now had his evenings free as Umbridge hadn't given him any more detentions (not that he'd given her reason to do so anyway.) Now the evenings went by doing homework or spending time with Ginny and his friends.

Quidditch practices were held twice a week and Ron was improving considerably. Harry thought he was doing really well, but Angelina was very harsh. She was actually in a tie with Oliver when it came to team spirit. Harry loved her enthusiasm, but sometimes the entire team felt it was a bit too much (not that anyone told her, of course).

The very next weekend, Lily and James had taken Ginny and Harry out again, since the next weekend would be Hogsmeade trip and they knew Harry wanted to do something special.

When Harry and Ginny went to Potter Manor, Arya and Iris were there too, and Harry was delighted to see them for he hadn't seen them in a while. They had brunch and got to work on Fire and Air.

They had started with Fire, and to Ginny and Harry's surprise, they found their Guardians quicker than they had before. Lily told them that it was because they'd done it before for Earth, and Earth was the foundation of everything.

They sat down in the library and were told to close their eyes as they were given information on Fire.

"So, do you remember what Remus told you last time? Fire transforms us. It gives us the ability to change appearance or metamorphose. It helps us give light and it helps us reveal truth. Fire deals with the mind and is very good for protection against Legilimency, and helps a lot whilst using and learning Occlumency," Lily explained.

James nodded, "Fire deals with colours like red and orange. It manifests itself in places where there is heat. For example hot springs, volcanoes, or bedrooms. The time of day when Fire's energy is strongest is Noon, and its sense is sight."

"Now keep your eyes closed. Is it a dark place? Or is there some sort of light source? Look around. Where are you?" Lily whispered.

* * *

Ginny took three deep breaths and suddenly she could feel the cold air entering her body and the warm air leaving it. She found herself standing in the middle of a bedroom. The bedroom had dark furniture and the bed had a red bedspread. The bedroom was full of cinnamon candles. The flickering light was inviting and sultry. Ginny looked down and gasped as she found herself wearing a white silk nightgown; it stopped just above her knees. Her hair was left lose in fiery waves.

She smiled as she saw three scarlet balls floating in mid-air near the doorway. She reached out towards them and she laughed as she was lifted up into the air. There was a bright flash of light and the balls of light became three creatures that represented fire: a female dragon, a snake and a female fox.

Knowing what to do this time, she smiled at the dragon and said, _"Your name is Evelyn. It is Celtic for 'light'."_

She then turned to the snake, _"Your name is Edmund. It is French and means 'prosperous protector'."_

"_Your name is Kiara and it is Latin for 'bright'," _Ginny said to the fox.

The three of them smiled and bowed to her, _"As you wish, Mistress Ginvera."_

She told them to just call her Ginny and to show themselves to her family.

* * *

Harry felt the heat as he found himself standing next to a hot spring. The water was dark and it was surrounded by stones, on top of which Harry was standing. Harry breathed in deeply, feeling the warm air caressing his body with a slow, smooth, sensual movement.

He stepped towards the orange balls of light he found floating a few feet away from him. To his astonishment, there were two. He reached out to touch them and there was a bright flash of light which revealed his Fire Guardians: a tiger and a female hawk.

He smiled at the tiger, reaching out to stroke him. _"Your name is Ambrogio. It is Italian for 'Immortal'."_

Then he turned to the hawk, _"Your name is Alina, it is Armenian for 'bearer of the light'."_

They bowed to him, _"As you wish, Master Harry."_

Harry asked them to show themselves to the rest of his family.

* * *

Lily shrieked with delight as Harry and Ginny sent their Fire Guardians away.

"Well done, sweethearts. Try Air now." Lily smiled.

Harry and Ginny sighed slightly tired and nodded in unison, "Alright."

"Air moves us. It cleanses us and deals with our breathing and keeping us healthy and fit. The colours associated with air are white and yellow. Places where Air manifests itself are places like high towers, mountain-tops and cloudy skies. The time of day is dawn and Air's senses are hearing and smell," Lily informed them.

"Air deals with Divination and concentration. It also plays a very important part in Magic," James added.

Ginny and Harry closed their eyes and took three deep breaths, losing themselves in the air around them.

* * *

Ginny felt the wind rushing through her hair. The tower she was on looked out to the sea from the west and to the east, there were beautiful plains of green. The sky was dark and cloudy, somewhere in the distance, lightening flashed and Ginny inhaled the heady smell of the rain. The grey clouds moved towards her and the strong gusts of wind made her feel rejuvenated. She was wearing a pale pink ball gown.

She looked down and smiled as she saw two sky blue balls making their way towards her, from the east. She was used to being lifted up into the air and the blinding flash of light, and she was very eager to see her Guardians.

One ball of light revealed a fairy wearing a light blue dress, her wings almost transparent. Her hair reached her waist and it was so blonde, it looked golden. She wore primroses in a halo on her head and she bowed to Ginny with a smile.

Ginny placed a hand on her shoulder, _"Your name is Ashlyn, which is Irish for 'dream'."_

The other light bubble presented a beautiful dove, its white feathers were like clouds and Ginny reached out to touch them with a soft smile, _"Your name is Irena, and it is Greek for 'peace'."_

They bowed to her and thanked her. She asked them to show themselves to her family and they complied. Ginny grinned. This feeling was divine.

* * *

Harry gasped as he found himself walking on the clouds. They were fluffy, soft and white. He looked through the gaps of them and smiled as he saw the turquoise blue ocean that seemed to blink back at him. He was wearing a suit. It was crispy, neat and white, with an icy blue tie.

He saw a yellow light blinking at him and walked towards it, smiling. He reached out to touch it, and as he was thrown up in the air, he breathed in the lemony scent the wind seemed to be spreading.

The yellow light faded and in its place was a female turtle dove. He knelt down next to it, _"Your name is Carmenta, and it is Latin for 'mythical healer'."_

Carmenta smiled at him, _"Thank you, Master Harry."_

Harry requested his Air Guardian to show herself to the rest of his family and grinned as she did so.

* * *

After Ginny and Harry introduced their Air Guardians to Lily, Remus, James and Sirius, they dismissed them and flopped on to the couch, exhausted.

Lily smiled at their tired faces, "How about we work on Water next time?"

Harry nodded, "That'd be nice."

James smiled, "Time for lunch now, kids and then we can drop you back at Hogwarts.

During lunch, whilst Ginny was talking to Dorea, James and Sirius, Harry took the opportunity to ask Lily and Remus for some ideas on how to make his first date with Ginny more special. The Hogsmeade weekend, which was fast approaching, was when Harry would also be meeting the students who were interested in learning Defence Against the Dark Arts from him.

Lily and Remus grinned when he asked, and after a few tips on what to do, they told him what he shouldn't do as well; both of these were things he found useful. After the advice, Harry started thinking about whether he should say yes or no. The amount of confidence his friends had in him was flattering, and although it sounded like a great thing to do, he didn't want to get anyone in trouble. He smiled slightly as he realised that he wanted to say yes. _Why not? _He thought to himself, _what's life without a little risk anyway?_

They also found out more about Allisa. Harry and Ginny had been talking about how distanced she seemed sometimes and although she was friendly, she never opened up. Sure it had only been a month, but Ginny had a feeling that she was hiding something, and seeing as though she was an Empath, Harry didn't want to bet against her.

He was helping Allisa with their Transfiguration homework, whilst Hermione helped Ron with Potions, and he asked her in a hushed voice, "Allisa, there isn't anything bothering you, is there? I've just been getting a feeling that there's something you want to tell us, but you're afraid of what we'll say. I just want you to know that we're not ones to judge, and whatever has happened, is happening, or happens, well, we'll always be there for you."

Allisa looked at him with wide eyes, wondering how on earth he knew. "I will tell you guys, I just need the right time."

Harry nodded, "Whenever you're ready.

And that very evening, after dinner, when everyone was curled up on the couch, or sitting cross legged on the floor, she asked them if she could talk to them about something sort of serious.

Hermione noticed her hesitant expression and took her hand, "Of course you can, Allisa, what's wrong?"

Ginny, who was curled up in Harry's lap, smiled at Allisa in encouragement, a silent promise that they'd be there for her, no matter what.

"I've wanted to tell you this for a while, actually. When I joined Hogwarts and I was Sorted, I was really surprised that I wasn't put into Slytherin." She paused and took a deep breath.

"Why?" Ron asked.

"You know Theodore Nott in Slytherin? He's my brother," Allisa said. She waited for them to say something, but when no one did, she continued, "My mother and Theo's father were high-school sweethearts and my mum got knocked up about a month after they graduated from Hogwarts. The Wizarding world was in full-fledged war and my dad had been able to hide the fact the he was a Death Eater from my mum, but she found out somehow. They got into a huge fight and he told her that he hadn't told her to protect her. She believed him, but by that time they'd had me and Theo. To make things worse, my mum was in the Order. With people dying left, right and centre, my parents thought that it was better for them to split, so Dad took Theo and Mum took me. Then Dad told her to get remarried so that they'd be able to conceal it better, so she did. My mum was in Gryffindor, but my Dad, and later my brother, were both put in Slytherin, so it was a surprise, a happy one of course, that I landed here. By the way, Theo isn't like Zabini, Crabbe and Goyle; he actually cares about other people besides himself and his family. We were both brought up hating You-Know-Who, him because it spilt his family apart and made Dad distance himself, and me, for the same reason. I didn't want to tell you guys because I didn't know how you'd react, but I'm glad I did now."

Ginny nodded at her, "We're glad you told us."

Allisa smiled at her before she continued, "Theo naturally believes that You-Know-Who is back and he's on the good side, Harry. It's just with all those Slytherins that he's grouped with, that he gets labelled as the bad one too."

Harry nodded, "I'm sorry about that. I guess the Sorting Hat is right though, eh?"

Allisa nodded.

Ron frowned, "I noticed that when you mentioned Zabini's name, you didn't mention Malfoy's."

Allisa smiled, "Theo told me that Malfoy is rude to the people his family considers beneath them because he has to. His father is awful to be perfectly honest, and Draco's mother is pretty much trapped between her husband and her sister, so Draco really has no choice. I have no respect for the fact that he can't show any backbone and stand up to his father, but I do feel very sorry for him."

Hermione nodded, "Recently we've been noticing a few changes in his behaviour. He doesn't torment us as much as he used to."

Allisa looked up at the ceiling, "Another reason I hate his father, is because when my mother was pregnant with me, he tried to rape her. It was when she was suspicious about my father, and she followed him into Knockturn Alley. She somehow got lost and the next thing she knew, she was being pinned back against a wall by Lucius Malfoy."

Hermione gasped and pulled her in for a hug. "That's awful, Ali."

Allisa grinned at the nickname, "I know, but she's okay now. I just want to get Lucius Malfoy back for that. I don't think she ever told Dad about it."

Ginny nodded, "Lucius Malfoy may be a sly, sneaky arsehole, but I don't think Draco would do anything of that sort."

Ron found himself agreeing, to his surprise.

Harry looked up at them all, "You know what? I think I want to do this DADA thing."

Hermione turned to him, "Really?"

Harry nodded, "I think it's the perfect way to get back at those idiots who think they're better than others just because they have pure-blood. And I think Voldemort and the Ministry need a wakeup call, because we are not going down without a fight!"

Ginny smiled as the others cheered, and pulled Harry's face down to hers for a kiss. He was truly the most wonderful man she'd ever met, and the amount of times he did something good for someone he cared without expecting something in return was astonishing. She felt herself liking him more and more each day and realised that if she wasn't careful, she really was going to fall in love with him.

As she lost herself in their kiss, Ginny wondered how she'd found someone so sweet and so perfect for her. And with their first date coming up in Hogsmeade, for Ginny, Halloween really couldn't come sooner.

**A/N: So, what did you think? Like I said before, Allisa plays a very very important role in this story. **

**As always, a big thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review. ****And to all the Indians out there, Happy belated Republic Day. :)**

**A few notes:**

**Thank you for the readers who sent me PMs. They really helped with the inspiration :)**

**Please vote on the poll if you haven't already. So far 50% of you want Dumbledore to die an 50% want Dumbledore to live.**

**A story recommendation now, because the story is absolutely fantastic. It's a Dramione story.**

**_We Learned The Sea _by **_Draco Malfoy turns himself in after a very successful career as a Death Eater, then enlists Harry and Hermione to help him in a scheme to bring down the Dark Lord. DHr. A story of forgiveness._

**It really is incredible, so if you have any free time, read and review. Also, if anyone has any fic recommendations, let me know. I really want to start reading again when I need a break from studying :P**

**I'll update as soon as I can. Please leave me your thoughts on this chapter. I really liked writing it, because Alissa has the merged personality of people who are very close to me. Reviews get teasers. ;) Thank you so much once again for all of the support.**

**Have a splendid weekend! :)**

**Love,**

**Ishani**


	36. Chapter 36:First Date In Hogsmeade

**A/N: *pinches self* Over 400 reviews? You guys are awesome :D *wipes tear*. :) So my mocks are over and there are 22 days left for my finals so every time I need a break I'm going to write a bit of the story because I have had absolutely no time to write whatsoever. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, so I hope you like it :) Meet you at the bottom, and happy reading! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 36: First Date in Hogsmeade.

Hermione grinned as she sneaked three vases into Ginny's room with the help of Ginny's roommates, Carlotta Brown and Sienna Jameson. Giggling, Hermione left the room glad that Ginny's level of deep sleep tied with Ron's, which made the sneaking in so much easier.

She'd been surprised when Harry asked her to name one of Ginny's favourite flowers and had asked her to sneak the vases in. She didn't mind, of course. Hermione thought it was nice that there was at least one boy with the ability to think up something romantic.

Hermione knew Ginny was extremely excited about the first date and was positively mad about Harry. They really couldn't have found a better fit for each other, mainly because they agreed on almost everything, and whenever they didn't, they could always reach a compromise.

It was one of the discussions she'd had with Lily, about how they could always count on Ginny to get Harry to do something because Harry might have not have realised it yet, but she definitely had him wrapped around her finger.

It was nice to see, that was for sure and more than anything, Hermione was incredibly happy for the both of them.

* * *

Ginny smiled as she woke up. The day that she'd been longing for had finally arrived. She was surprised to see four owls that were near the window. She opened the window and they flew inside. Ginny stroked Hedwig's feather's as she untied the letter that was on her leg.

Her eyes widened as she saw Harry's handwriting on the letter.

_Dearest Ginny,_

_Good morning. I hope you're well and I know you look lovely. I want today to be something special, so I sent you a surprise. _

_I'll see you in the common room at 9._

_Love,_

_Harry._

Ginny smiled and then she felt confused as she saw the three vases that were placed on her dressing table. She moved to open the first package that lay on her bed.

She took out a bouquet of calla lilies and gasped. Along with the bouquet, there was a note.

_I asked Hermione what your favourite flowers were and she told me you liked these._

_It's fitting because _calla lilies _represent beauty. You're beautiful Ginny, the most beautiful person I've ever met, both inside and out._

Ginny chewed on her lip as she read the note with tears in her eyes. He truly was wonderful. She placed the flowers in the first vase (which had already been filled with water).

As she opened the second package, she gasped as a gorgeous bouquet of tulips fell into her fingers. It held many tulips of different colours: pink, purple, orange and yellow. Another note fell out of the package.

_Tulips are to do with love and loyalty. Orange tulips represent warmth, which you are always full of. Yellow tulips represent the sunshine in your smile. Pink tulips represent your caring personality and how you always put others before yourself. Finally, purple tulips represent passion, something you are always full of._

_These are things that everyone admires about you, Ginny. _

She opened the final package, not believing that he'd gone through so much trouble for her. Out fell a single blue rose, and she sighed softly as she opened the note, wondering yet again, how she'd found someone so sweet.

_Blue roses aren't found easily; they're unique, rare and special. They often represent mystery and enchantment. You're truly beautiful and incredibly special. I've never met someone so open, so accepting of others and I feel lucky to know that you're mine. You're one in a million, Ginny, just like this rose._

Ginny grinned as she put the rose in the final vase and she gazed at it. Its beauty was remarkable and the fact that Harry could compare her to something so difficult to find, something so unattainable, was beyond flattering. From the stories she'd heard of James, Harry had definitely inherited his charm.

She was amazed that he'd done so much on their first date; she didn't think anyone else would. She turned to her closet to find something good to wear, now feeling as good as he thought she looked.

She showered and dressed in a yellow dress that reached her knee. She put on a brown belt and a pair of gladiator sandals Charlie had gotten her for her birthday. She paired the yellow dress with a brown purse. Her hair was dried and left out in waves. Wearing a lovely necklace that had a flower and key pendant, she slipped on her owl earrings and added a dash of make up; a little bit of eyeliner and some lip gloss. Taking a deep breath she checked her reflection in the mirror and satisfied with the result, she headed downstairs to the common room.

* * *

Harry sat in the common room, waiting for Ginny to arrive. He was wearing a bottle green shirt with black jeans. His messy hair was as untamed as ever (not that Harry could do anything about it). He hoped Ginny had liked the surprise he'd sent her. In his hand he was holding a single calla lily so that he could give it to her when she arrived. He looked at his watch, only five minutes to nine.

He turned when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder and his jaw dropped. Ginny stood in front of him with a warm smile. She looked incredible. She giggled at his expression and kissed his cheek.

Harry handed her the flower, kissing her hand as she took it, "You look beautiful, Ginny."

Ginny blushed and bit her lip as he caressed her cheek, "Thank you. You don't look too shabby yourself."

Harry grinned as he wrapped an arm around her waist, "I try."

They started walking towards the portrait hole and Ginny smiled as he let her exit first.

"Thank you for the flowers, Harry, they are beautiful. I didn't expect them either. How did you get the vases in?"

Harry grinned, mentally thanking his mum, Remus and Hermione for all their help, "Hermione."

Ginny laughed and as they reached the Great Hall, she stood on her tiptoes, as to give him a kiss. Harry smiled into the kiss and fireworks went off in Ginny's brain. Her heart thudded in her chest and butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She sighed as their lips parted, her cheeks warm and her body feeling fuzzy.

Harry smiled as Ginny reached up to kiss him. His lips touched hers and all of a sudden he was soaring. Their connection was strong and he could feel every emotion that ran through them both. He knew that he was falling in love with her, day by day, minute by minute and even though they were still teenagers, he knew it was true. Their lips parted and their eyes met, seeking the home they found in each other.

* * *

After breakfast, Harry and Ginny let Ron, Hermione, Neville and Allisa wander off as they reached Hogsmeade. Harry had no idea what to do now that he got here and he figured that he and Ginny could just talk.

Ginny smiled at him as they began walking, "What do you want to do?"

Harry shrugged, "I don't really need anything. Do you?"

Ginny nodded, "I have to get Bill something for his birthday."

Harry smiled as they walked into Dominic Maestro Music Shop. Ginny told him that Bill wanted music from the Weird Sisters. She browsed through the albums that were there and grinned as she saw one titled, '_The Best Works of the Weird Sisters' _and turned to Harry, "I think this one might be alright."

Harry waited as she paid for the album. The clerk at the till was a few years older than Harry, about nineteen, and was giving Ginny a look that Harry didn't like. Harry practically snatched the bag out of his hand when he handed it over and left the shop with Ginny, who looked slightly amused.

They went to Honeydukes next and sampled everything before buying Sugar Quills, Chocolate Frogs, Fizzing Wizzbees and almost every candy that Ginny liked. Then, loaded with their purchases, they sat down on a bench outside and began to eat.

Ginny sighed happily, "This is perfect."

Harry kissed her cheek, "I'm glad you think so."

He played with her hair absentmindedly as she talked, admiring the silky feel of it. It was something that he would never get tired of. Her smile, and the way her eyes lit up when she laughed. Her soft pink lips and the way they felt against his. Her laugh and how it sounded so sweet and melodious. Her charming, bubbly personality and how she never failed to make him smile when he was sad, calm down when he was angry. He marvelled at how perfect she was for him.

His gaze was so intense that, when Ginny looked into his eyes, she blushed. Harry brought their intertwined hands together and kissed them. Ginny gazed deeper into his eyes and then leaned in to steal a kiss.

Sparks went off in her brain as their lips touched. Ginny's fingers knotted in his hair as their tongues danced for dominance and their hearts beat together as one.

Harry pulled apart slightly and nibbled gently on her bottom lip. One hand was on her waist, the other hand lifting her chin up slightly. Their noses touched as he captured her lips again, in a slow, teasing movement. She moaned softly as his hands slipped into her hair, stroking it gently.

Her body felt like it was on fire, a burning flame erupted at the pit of her stomach as he trailed a line of kisses along her jawline. She touched his chest gently, the other arm still fisting his hair. Harry sighed into the kiss, it was tender, and it was sweet and full of an emotion Harry couldn't quite name. But it was warm and it felt like a hot drink on a cold day.

He pulled apart and cupped her face in his hands as he looked into her eyes. She gasped as the green colour of his eyes became similar to the ones she'd seen after they'd found their Fire Guardians. They were full of emotion, hard but soft, sweet, sincere and loving. She smiled at him, sighing softly as he smiled back.

When she kissed him, it was unlike anything else she had ever experienced. Ginny's eyes found the watch on his wrist and she gasped when she saw the time.

"Harry, it's five to eleven. We have to meet 'Mione at the Hog's Head," Ginny reminded hm.

He sighed and bent down for a quick kiss before nodding, "Alright, let's go."

Harry and Ginny entered the Hog's Head and looked around surprised that it was virtually empty. Hermione and Ron waved at them from a table. Harry looked around and saw that, apart from them, there were only two other people, a man wrapped in bandages and a veiled witch.

He turned to look at the barman, who had an uncanny resemblance to someone Harry knew, but he couldn't quite put his finger on who.

They walked over to the counter and the barman asked, "What?"

Hermione smiled at him, "Four Butterbeers, please."

The man nodded and took out four dusty bottles from underneath the counter and asked for eight Sickles. Harry took out the silver and laid it on the counter. With a word of thanks, the group left and sat down at their table.

"So, who's going to meet us here?" Harry asked nervously, taking a sip of his Butterbeer.

Hermione shrugged and exchanged a sneaky look with Ginny, "Oh, only a few people." She sipped her drink and smiled, "I told them to be here by eleven fifteen, and they should be coming..."

She trailed off as the door opened and a crowd bustled in, "…About now." She finished.

Harry gaped at the crowd as they filed in in twos and threes. First, leading the group was Neville with Dean, Seamus (much to Harry's surprise), Lavender, Parvati and Padma Patil, who were closely followed by Cho and one of her friends, who was looking very unhappy to be here. Then came Anthony Goldstein with his friends Michael Corner and Terry Boot. They were followed by Luna Lovegood who came on her own. Alicia Spinner, Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, Colin and Dennis Creevey (who had somehow managed to sneak in along with his brother), Justin Finch-Fletchley, Susan Bones-a Hufflepuff girl with a long braid down her back, and Hannah Abbott all came together. A few seconds later, Fred and George appeared with their friend Lee Jordan. Zacharias Smith came in alone too. Allisa joined the crowd with Theodore Nott and, much to Harry's surprise, two other people from Slytherin who Harry didn't know. Su Li, another fifth year followed with another two Slytherins, sisters named Daphne and Astoria Greengrass. Carlotta Brown and Sienna Jameson followed with Mandy Brocklehurst and a two other second and first years; Euan Abercrombie and Orla Quirke (Harry had absolutely no idea how they'd managed to sneak out of Hogwarts).

Harry turned to Hermione, "This is a lot more than a couple of people!"

Hermione smirked, "Well, the idea turned out to be more popular than any of us expected."

She waved her wand and more chairs were pulled up. The barman was staring at all the students who'd entered the pub. Fred ordered Butterbeers for everyone after counting the amount of people that were there. The barman started passing the bottles and Fred handed them to everyone. The group rummaged for the gold and paid the barman, who grunted as to say thanks.

Hermione cleared her throat when everyone had taken a seat. She stood up and addressed them all, "Erm, well, hi! You see, Ron, Harry and I had the idea— I mean, I had the idea (Harry had nudged her) of forming a group of the people who wanted to study Defence Against the Dark Arts, because what Umbridge is teaching us isn't going to get us anywhere." She paused as there a few nods and agreeing statements that were shouted out, "I thought it would be better for us to take matters into our own hands."

She took a deep breath and continued, "This isn't just about the exams, though. It's about being able to defend yourself because…because Lord Voldemort has returned and there will come a time when we will need to prepared for the worst. We need a proper teacher and we have someone who is an incredible fighter over here." She gestured to Harry.

Zacharias Smith shrugged, "What makes you think You-Know-Who is back anyway?"

Hermione glared at him and was about to say something when Harry shook his head at her. He had finally realised why these people were here. They wanted to know what had happened in June, to find out the real story. He spoke with confidence, looking Zacharias in the eye, "The reason I say Voldemort is back is because I saw him. Dumbledore told the school what happened last year. If you don't want to believe it, that's up to you, but it's the truth. If you came here to hear what happened last June, or to hear any details about how Cedric died, then I'm sorry to disappoint you, because I'm not going to waste my afternoon trying to convince someone that he's back. So if that's what you're here for, you may as well get out now."

No one moved, no one got up and no one left. They just stared at Harry, some with more respect than they had before.

Susan Bones smiled, "Is it true that you've done all these remarkable things?"

"Meaning?" Harry asked, puzzled.

Seamus nodded, "Remember in our first year, when Harry saved the Philosopher Stone from You-Know-Who."

There were a few impressed murmurs here and there and Harry blushed, "I had help from Ron and Hermione. I couldn't have-"

"You killed the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, didn't you? In your second year?" Terry Boot asked.

Ginny smiled, "Yes he did, that too with Godric Gryffindor's sword."

Harry just nodded.

Fred grinned at the group, "He can also produce a corporeal Patronus."

Theodore Nott looked impressed, "Can you, Potter?"

"Well, er…Yeah."

"Then there was every foul thing that he had to get past last year in the Triwizard Tournament," Cho said.

"Look, I had lots of help-"

Daphne shook her head, "Not with the flying, that was all you."

Harry shrugged, "I suppose."

Ginny smiled as everyone warmed up to the idea. This group had definitely formed and she had a feeling that it was going to be even larger than it was now.

Zacharias grinned, "You're not trying to get out of teaching us all this, are you?"

Harry shook his head, "No, I'll teach you guys, if you want to learn."

"Great!" Hermione exclaimed as she took out a piece of parchment, "Alright, listen up, Umbitch cannot find out about this group because she thinks that Dumbledore is trying to overthrow Fudge and take over the Ministry."

"That's idiotic," Michael commented and Harry nodded.

Luna chimed in, "Especially because Fudge has his own army of Heliopaths to do his bidding."

Hermione nodded slowly, "Right. Anyway, we need to find a place to meet and a time. We'll let you know once we find a place."

Angelina nodded but said nervously, "But it can't interfere with anyone's Quidditch."

Hermione nodded, "Don't worry about that. They won't. Now, can everyone please sign on this piece of parchment? That way it'll be easier for us to contact you,"

People eyed the parchment nervously and Ernie spoke up, "But, I'm a Prefect."

Ron raised an eyebrow, "So are we."

Hermione pursed her lips, "Do you think I'm just going to leave this lying around, Ernie?"

Ernie sighed and shook his head, "No, of course not."

Ron took the quill and paper from Hermione's hand and signed his name. He was followed quickly by Ginny, Hermione, Neville, Allisa and Theodore Nott. One by one everyone had signed and Hermione grinned. "Alright then, thanks for coming."

They started to leave, but Harry pulled Hermione, Ron and Ginny towards the Slytherins who stood with Allisa.

"Harry!" Allisa smiled, "This is my brother Theodore."

Harry smiled back and shook hands with Theodore Nott, "Hi Theodore, it's nice to meet you."

Theodore grinned, "Call me Theo. I'm guessing you don't know everyone. This is Daphne and Astoria Greengrass, Terrence Higgs and Tracy Davis."

Hermione smiled, "Thank you for coming."

Daphne nodded, "I'm sure you guys weren't expecting such a show of Slytherins, huh?"

Ginny laughed, "No, but it's a pleasant surprise, it makes us regret the fact that we've labelled you all as Dark Art supporters."

Tracy waved away the apology, "No worries, I'm not surprised you did. Well, it was nice to meet you. I'm going to get going. I want to get some sugar quills. Binns's classes just get worse every year."

The group followed her as they left, many of them waving bye with a smile.

Harry turned to Ron, Hermione and Ginny, feeling incredible shocked, "I didn't expect so many people to turn up."

Ginny laughed at his expression and kissed his cheek, "Me either."

Ron shrugged, "I think it's a good thing. Who's up for some more Butterbeers?"

Hermione nodded, "Sure, but let's go to the Three Broomsticks. That witch over there is giving me the creeps."

**A/N: I really liked writing this one. Every story needs a bit of fluff. :) Leave me your thoughts and I'll update as soon as I can. Thank you so much for your support, it means so much to me to know you like the story :)**

**Make sure you vote on the poll on my profile if you haven't already. :D**

**As always, reviews will get teasers. **

**Have a magical week! :D**

**Ishani**


	37. Chapter 37:Dumbledore's Army

**A/N: Hey guys :) I know I'm unbelievable late and I do have excuses but most of them are the same. School work and exams are beginning to take their toll on me and I found a few minutes to spare so I thought I would update. So I'll stop yapping and let you read because I know you haven't done so for a long time. I hope you enjoy reading. And thank you for those of you who reviewed last time. The reviews were heartening :)**

**Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

Chapter 37: Dumbledore's Army.

The next morning, Harry and Ron gaped as they stood in front of the notice board. A new decree had been ordered by the High Inquisitor that stated all types of student meeting were banned unless they had the permission of the High Inquisitor. Harry and Ron had both thought someone squealed, but Hermione said no, as she had charmed the parchment everyone had signed on, so that if anyone did snitch, it would be very easy to see who.

Angelina was inexplicably angry as she realised they would need to ask permission to reform the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She practically begged Harry not to act up in Umbridge's classes and Harry, because he loved Quidditch and because Angelina looked like she was on the verge of tears, agreed that he wouldn't argue, or backchat, or bring up the topic of Voldemort.

To make the day worse, Hedwig appeared in Harry's History of Magic class with a hurt wing. Harry lied to Professor Binns and told him that he wasn't feeling well. Then he took her to Professor Grubbly-Plank who promised him that she would see to Hedwig's injury right away. Harry then went to Professor McGonagall, opening the letter Hedwig had brought on the way and he grinned. It was just a letter from Dorea lecturing him about being stupid. The Blood Quill was mentioned, but Harry figured that since it was Umbridge who had attacked his owl, she wouldn't have minded reading the letter that called her a "pus-filled wart" in the words of his grandmother. When he told McGonagall what had happened, she warned him that the communication going in and out of the castle was being watched.

He looked around to see whether anyone as watching, double checked for Peeves and then sneaked into a broom closet. He took out his wand and muttered, "_Colloportus._" Then suddenly he remembered he had Guardians and kept the ones he'd discovered on the lookout for anyone who was coming in his direction. Taking out the two-way mirror from his pocket, Harry whispered "James Potter."

His father's face appeared in the mirror, looking slightly worried. "What's wrong, Harry? Shouldn't you be in class?" He asked.

Harry nodded, "I should, but Hedwig was attacked, I'm pretty sure it was Umbitch and McGonagall hinted it was her, too. The only thing she would have read, though, was Grandma lecturing me, telling me not to be a noble prat and calling Umbitch stuff like pus-filled wart."

James smiled slightly at what his mother had called the toad, "Alright, well, keep an eye on Umbridge, and don't send us too much by post. We'll communicate with the mirror as much as we can. Now, since I have the chance to talk to you, what is this I hear about you organising a Defence Against the Dark Arts group?"

Harry blanched, "How the hell do you know about that?"

"Watch your language, Harry!" Lily chastised as she came up behind James.

"Hi, Mum." Harry gave her a cheeky grin.

"We know about that because someone from the Order was keeping an eye on you," James informed his son.

Harry scowled, "I'm still being watched?"

"Yes," Lily nodded, "And with good reason, otherwise we wouldn't have found out about this."

"Well, what do you think?" Harry asked nervously, "It was Hermione's idea."

"Hermione?" Lily and James asked, shocked.

Harry nodded and Lily sighed, "Under the circumstances, I suppose I understand why you're doing this, so I won't stop you. You obviously have tons of support from all the Marauders and Tonks."

"Does everyone know?" Harry frowned.

James smiled, "Everyone in the Order does, yes."

"Okay, we're still looking for a place to have the meetings, though. I'll let you know what's going on. Anyway, what's the news on Uncle Sirius's and Uncle Remus's love lives?"

Lily laughed, "Sirius absolutely adores Aurora, who by the way is your Ancient Runes Professor's sister. She's in the Order too. Anyway, Sirius is adamant that what he has is just a stupid, silly little crush, but he hasn't seen the way his eyes light up whenever he sees her."

James sighed, "Remus is being stupid too, but in a completely different way. Tonks keeps asking him out and saying that they should be a couple because Merlin knows they're attracted to each other, but he keeps turning her down. Says he isn't good enough for her, but Tonks is as stubborn as he is and, hopefully, she'll wear him down."

Harry nodded, "Well, I'll see you this Saturday, I'd better head back. Bye."

Lily and James waved bye as Harry slipped the mirror back into his pocket, unlocked the broom cupboard and stepped out. He waited a few seconds, and as a flood of students left their classrooms, he joined the crowd. He walked quickly to the Great Hall and relayed everything that had happened to Ginny, Ron and Hermione. He also found out from Angelina that the Slytherins had Umbridge's permission to form their Quidditch team. This just made Harry want to find a location for their group all the more.

Blaise Zabini, who seemed to have taken Malfoy's place in the group, started to make a big deal about how Slytherin had gotten permission and Gryffindor hadn't. He took it a step further and started making fun of Mr Weasley and said that perhaps, if Mr Weasley had been in a higher position at the Ministry, the Gryffindor students would have got permission to play Quidditch too. When this didn't get a reaction from anyone, Zabini went further to talk about how Mr Weasley was so obsessed with Muggles that it was only a matter of time before they sent him to a special ward at St Mungo's for those who have had their brains addled by magic. Then he started making funny faces.

Neville had gone insane when he heard that and had lunged at Zabini, but with the collective help of Seamus, Ron and Dean, Harry had managed to calm him down. Harry pulled Neville away from Ron and Hermione.

"Mate, you need to calm down. No one knows about Frank and Alice here, alright?" Harry told him.

Neville nodded but said fiercely, "It's not funny, though."

"I know that, Neville. But just ignore them. They're not worth it," Harry told him and Neville sighed, knowing he was right.

When Harry went back to Ron and Hermione, they had asked what had happened, Harry had shaken his head as he knew Neville would tell them when he felt comfortable enough to talk about it. Potions turned out to be more interesting than Harry had expected because Umbitch was inspecting Snape. Divination was nothing short of awful as Trelawney had received the results of her inspection, and judging by her reaction, they were terrible.

Surprisingly, Harry did feel sorry for Trelawney a little bit. After all she had prophesized the return of Lord Voldemort once the faithful servant returned to him, and she was right. Although Harry really didn't appreciate the fact that she kept on predicting his death.

Fred and George had also managed to get another product finished for their Skiving Snackboxes. They were called 'Puking Pastilles'. Harry, Ginny and Ron had watched them, as amused as almost everyone else in the room as George ate one half of the candy and started puking his guts out, ate the other half, which Fred gave him, and he was back to normal within seconds. One person who didn't find this quite as entertaining as the rest of them was Hermione. Naturally, and much to Hermione's dismay, the product proved quite popular and hence Fred and George were making a lot of money.

Much to the delight of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, they got permission to form their team again as Angelina had complained to McGonagall. Harry had grinned when he heard this for McGonagall as strict as she seemed was a diehard Quidditch fan and wanted Gryffindor to win as much as the rest of the House did. Angelina reckoned that McGonagall must have gone to Dumbledore. This pleased Harry and Ron immensely, and although their first practice was in the rain, they went out without a single complain. That changed when they actually started to fly and found that the weather was even worse than it looked and nothing was visible. They returned to their changing rooms, soaking wet and ridiculously pissed off. Harry's scar then began to sear, which did not help his mood. He found, to his alarm, that he knew Voldemort was very angry. He wanted something done and it wasn't getting done quickly enough. When Harry told Ron, his face was just as alarmed, and Harry realised he was reading Voldemort's emotions. Going back into the changing room, he took out the mirror and told his mum, who promised to inform his father (who was at work) and Dumbledore.

Exhausted, Ron and Harry then returned to the Common Room and after telling Ginny and Hermione what happened he collapsed into an armchair with Ginny on his lap, cuddling him. They all chatted for a while and then sunk off to their dormitories. Harry was woken up by Dobby in the middle of the night when he had come back with Hedwig. He looked certifiably mad in Harry's opinion and he had been taking all the hats that Hermione had been knitting (in her most recent attempt to campaign for S.P.E.W, which to Ron and Harry's dismay, she was still taking seriously). When he had asked if he could help Harry in any way, Harry had shaken his head, before suddenly remembering that they needed a place to practice Defence Against the Dark Arts.

When he asked Dobby if he knew of a place like this, he had expected Dobby to shake his head and say no, however Dobby's reaction turned out to be the complete opposite. He gave a little skip of joy and nodded his head as he told Harry about the Room of Requirement or the 'Come and Go Room', which only appeared if the person walked in front of it three times saying what he required in his head.

Harry grinned and as he bade Dobby goodnight, he couldn't help but think that it would be the perfect place for them.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione gaped as they looked around the Room of Requirement. It had taken the shape of a huge room. To one side it had a bookshelf full of books like: _A Compendium of Common Curses and their Counter-Actions, The Dark Arts Outsmarted, Self-Defensive Spellwork _and _Jinxes for the Jinxed._

He knew Hermione would have a ball with those and he proved to be right for as soon as she had seen them, she had gasped and grabbed one, promptly sitting on a cushion that had appeared on the floor a few seconds before.

Harry and Ron had simply exchanged half amused, half exasperated looks. Harry continued to look around the room and saw that there were Foe Glasses and Sneakoscopes. Ron turned to look at Harry, "Mate, this place is the shizz! It's perfect!"

Harry nodded and smiled as Ginny, Colin, Luna, Neville and Allisa entered the room.

Ginny goggled at the room, "How did you find this?"

Harry slipped an arm around her waist grinning, "Dobby."

Hermione looked up smiling, "Now all we have to do is wait for everyone to come."

"I think there are going to be a lot more people than the ones who came to Hogsmeade," Allisa said thoughtfully.

Colin raised his eyebrows, "What makes you say that?"

"Well, a lot of the first years and second years are probably interested too. Others may have not been interested then, but if anyone heard about it through a friend and wanted to come, I wouldn't be too surprised," Ginny replied.

Hermione grinned, "Then we'll have to update the list won't we?"

And both Ginny and Allisa turned out to be right. Harry grew more and more nervous as the crowd in the room began to increase. Within ten minutes, it seemed everyone had arrived and the crowd was definitely bigger than what Harry had expected and bigger than what they had seen in Hogsmeade too. Harry had no idea that him teaching DADA would be so popular.

Hermione seemed to sense that he was nervous, because she took it upon herself to welcome everyone, "Hi everyone. Why don't we get a bit more comfortable?" She pointed to the throw pillows that were scattered around the room, "Grab one and take a seat."

Once everyone had sat down, Hermione continued, "I think we also ought to elect a leader."

Cho looked at her as if she thought that Hermione had lost her mind, "Harry's leader."

Hermione resisted the temptation to roll her eyes, she'd never liked Cho too much, "Yes, but voting will make things more official. So, those in favour of Harry being leader, please raise your hands." Everyone did, almost immediately, and Harry blushed.

"Thanks," he muttered.

Hermione smiled, "I also think that we should have a name, something we can call ourselves and refer to this group as being so it doesn't seem too suspicious."

"How about the Hogwarts Defence Class?" Ernie suggested.

Hermione frowned thoughtfully, "That's alright, but maybe too long."

"What about the Ministry-of-Magic-are Morons Group?" Fred asked.

Hermione just ignored him, although her lips twitched.

"What about the Defence Association? It could be the DA for short so no one knows what we're talking about," Cho said. She gave Harry an overly-warm smile.

Ginny glared at her before looking at Hermione, "I like the DA, but how about we name it Dumbledore's Army instead? After all, that is what everyone's afraid of."

Hermione grinned at her in approval and Harry nodded, "I'm with Ginny."

"Me too," Ron, Fred and George said together.

Hermione nodded, "All in favour?" Everyone raised their hands again and Hermione wrote it on top of the parchment that held the list of names.

"Dumbledore's Army it is then," Harry grinned. "Alright, those of you who weren't present need to write their names on the parchment that Hermione's holding. Once that's done, well, we'll get started."

Once everyone had signed, Hermione handed Harry the list with a prominent 'I-told-you-so' smirk on her face. The DA held sixty-six people, not including Harry. Harry mouthed a 'thanks' to Hermione as he saw she'd organized it according to the year.

**Dumbledore's Army (DA)**

_Leader:_ Harry James Potter

**First Years:**

_**Gryffindor-**_

Ewan Abercrombie.

Jean Ledger

_**Ravenclaw-**_

Natasha Sharma

Jacob Greene

**Second Years:**

_**Gryffindor-**_

Dennis Creevey

Natalie McDonald

Nigel Wespurt

Demelza Robbins

Jack Sloper

Andrew Kirke

Victoria Frobisher

Geoffrey Hooper

_**Hufflepuff-**_

Eleanor Branstone

Laura Madley

Owen Cauldwell

Kevin Whitby

_**Ravenclaw-**_

Stewart Ackerley

Orla Quirke

Emma Dobbs

**Third Years:**

_**Gryffindor-**_

Romilda Vane

_**Hufflepuff-**_

Rose Zeller

_**Slytherin**__-_

Astoria Greengrass

**Fourth Years:**

_**Gryffindor-**_

Ginevra Weasley

Colin Creevey

Carlotta Brown

Sienna Jameson

_**Ravenclaw-**_

Luna Lovegood

_**Hufflepuff-**_

Zacharias Smith

**Fifth Year:**

_**Gryffindor-**_

Hermione Granger

Ronald Weasley

Lavender Brown

Parvati Patil

Dean Thomas

Seamus Finnigan

Neville Longbottom

Allisa Nott-O'Connor

_**Ravenclaw-**_

Padma Patil

Anthony Goldstein

Michael Corner

Terry Boot

Morag MacDougall

Mandy Brocklehurst

Lisa Turpin

Su Li

_**Hufflepuff-**_

Hannah Abbott

Susan Bones

Megan Jones

Ernie Macmillan

Justin Finch-Fletchley

Wayne Hopkins

_**Slytherin-**_

Theodore Nott

Daphne Greengrass

Tracy Davis

**Sixth Years:**

_**Gryffindor**_**-**

Katie Bell

Leanne Tyson

_**Ravenclaw**_**-**

Cho Chang

Eddie Carmichael

Marietta Edgecombe

**Seventh Years:**

_**Gryffindor**_**-**

Fred Weasley

George Weasley

Lee Jordan

Alicia Spinnet

Angelina Johnson

_**Slytherin**_**-**

Terrence Higgs

Harry was surprised that so many people had turned up and he was also extremely overwhelmed that so many people thought that he was good at DADA.

He turned to them with a smile, "Seeing as this is our first lesson, I thought we'd start off with the basics. The Disarming Charm."

Zacharias Smith snorted, "Wait, seriously? Are you kidding me? How the hell is _Expelliarmus _supposed to help us?"

Harry raised his eyebrows at him, "Well, that's up to you to decide. All I know is, I used the Disarming Charm against Voldemort and it saved my life last June."

The room had become very silent and very still. Harry continued with a slight edge to his voice, "Sometimes the simplest of spells can get you out of a near death situation. We'll start off with stuff that's easier and move on to harder stuff as time goes by. We're starting with the Disarming Charm, but if any of you think that's beneath you, you're welcome to leave."

Once again, no one moved and Harry took a deep breath, "Alright, divide into pairs."

Neville was left out and Harry partnered with him. After three or four tries and many instructions from Harry, Neville managed to disarm him. Giving him a proud smile, Harry instructed Neville to work with Hermione and Ron. He then went around the room, helping people and praising them.

As he had expected, there were many people who hadn't mastered this simple spell yet and he felt relieved that he'd started with something so basic. Some people flourished their wands too much; other people weren't saying the incantation properly. After an hour and a half, Harry stopped them by blowing a whistle.

"Alright, that was great guys. Let's meet next Wednesday. Same time, same place."

Everyone began to leave the room, some thanked Harry before leaving and others even complimented his teaching skills.

Harry turned to Ron, Hermione and Ginny when everyone had left. "So, how was that?"

Hermione laughed as she hugged him, "You were brilliant, Harry. That was really, really good."

Ron grinned, "Remus has nothing on you, mate."

Harry blushed, "I'm not that good."

Ginny kissed him softly on the lips, "You were just as good as Remus, if not better. We did say you're a natural at this sort of stuff."

Harry grinned as she dragged him out of the Room. Ron and Hermione caught up with the couple and they headed to the Common Room. Harry was full of joy and a little bit of pride at how well everyone had caught on. In this fight between him and Tom Riddle, he was beginning to understand, little by little, that he was not alone.

**A/N: So how was that then? Leave me your thoughts and I will reply to them as soon as possible with a sneak peek of the chapter to come :) A few notices now:**

**Firstly thank you for all the readers with the patience to wait for my updates, I know it must be annoying. So thank you for all your support :)**

**Secondly the poll about Dumbledore's fate...Well, most of you would like him to die so this will be interesting as I will now have to plan it out. Looking forward to that :D**

**I'll update as soon as I can :) Let me know what you thought about this chapter :D**

**A huge thank you for all of your support and kind comments so far.**

**Have a fantastic week :)**

**Ishani**


	38. Chapter 38:More Meetings and Quidditch

**A/N: Helloo all my wonderful readers :) How are you? I only have two papers left so I'm full of euphoria. I have like a 10 break now so I'm going to catch up with the writing and updating :D Don't shoot me for being so late otherwise you won't get another update xD Happy reading and I'll see you at the bottom :D**

Chapter 38: More Meetings and Quidditch.

That weekend when Ginny and Harry went to Potter Manor, Ginny was full of how successful the first meeting of the DA had been. When she told Lily and the Marauders, they were beyond impressed.

After an hour or so of what Sirius liked to call 'chill out time', Harry and Ginny got to work on the final element that they had to master: Water.

"Water shapes us. It is the cleanser, the purifier and the element that gives us life and keeps it flowing," Lily began. "It represents love, and it's very important that you remember that. But we'll go into those details later. It can be summoned from any water-based source; for example, blood, soil and rain."

"Water's direction is west and its time of day is dusk. The main colour water is represented by is blue. Its season is autumn and its sense is taste. It is very good for things like healing, reflecting and intuitiveness, meaning it enhances your psychic powers. Therefore, it is also helpful when it comes to clairvoyance. These sorts of abilities are enhanced over time. That's why it is imperative that you master the four elements."

James took over, "Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Water manifests itself in places like oceans, beaches, rivers, lakes, bogs, bathtubs, rainforests and wells. Keep breathing deeply and then notice the area around you."

* * *

Ginny felt the smooth fineness of the sand beneath her feet; the way some of it clung to her. It was slightly wet from the tide and shone in the sunlight. It was dusk, the sun was almost setting and it painted the sky in the gorgeous colours of pink, lavender and light blue. The water sparkled and Ginny breathed in the heady, salty scent of the beach.

She found she was wearing a deep turquoise dress. It was light and flowing, shimmering as the light hit it, similar to the sea. Its silhouette clung to the curves in Ginny's body. It came up to her knees and was held up by a halter neck ribbon, and was tied at the back of her neck in a bow.

To her delight, she saw two silvery, almost transparent lights blinking at her. She pranced towards them, and reached out. She was lifted up into the air, spinning and brought back down. The lights faded slowly, leaving in their wake a Water Nymph and a silver otter.

Ginny smiled at the Naiad. Her hair was coal black, her eyes, a startling sapphire blue. She wore a flimsy, lacy white dress that ended mid-thigh. _"Your name is Calla and is Greek for beauty."_

_Calla curtsied, "As you wish."_

Ginny then turned to the otter. _"Your name is Luz and it's Armenian for moon."_

_Luz smiled at Ginny, "Thank you."_

Ginny stroked Luz with one hand and gently held Calla's in another, and then requested them to show themselves to her family.

* * *

Harry gasped as he saw a school of fish swim past him. The wet sand clung to his feet and he grinned as he felt the water caressing his body. Gaping as he looked around, he found himself walking along the bottom of the ocean. The feeling was surreal and it made him feel otherworldly.

The colour of the water was hard to describe. It was blue, and although it was clear and clean, it always changed with the depth. He was wearing a soft, cotton shirt that was a bright white, with faded, blue jeans. Once again, he was barefoot.

He almost missed the teal ball of light that was floating near a clump of seaweed. It seemed to camouflage against the deep blue of the ocean. He reached out towards it and was lifted up slightly.

The light revealed a dolphin that was smiling impishly. Harry resisted the temptation to coo at it. He walked towards her and embraced it, pulling the dolphin in for a cuddle. The dolphin gave a sort of giggle.

Harry grinned at her. _"Your name is Saphira. It's Hebrew for Sapphire."_

_Saphira emitted a soft giggle again, "As you wish, Master Harry," before showing herself to Harry's family as he requested._

* * *

James and Lily grinned at Ginny and Harry as they practised bringing all their Guardians forth and sending them back.

Harry sighed slightly as they sat on the couch, "So what do we do now?"

Lily smiled, "Well, Harry, for you it's a little bit different, because although you have a bit of Inferno in you, you're not fully Inferno yet. So what you're going to work on is building up your strength. You'll be going through some intensive training sessions which will quicken your reflexes. Sometimes fighting with a wand isn't enough, and for the future, if you ever have to lead a group to a battle, you'll have to be extremely fit. The three men can help you there. You will also be learning mental defence. Ginny, we will be spending a lot of time in either the library or the back garden so you can properly get a grasp on your powers."

Ginny and Harry grinned, "Thanks, Lily, that sounds great!" Ginny squealed, unable to contain her excitement.

"What I need the both of you to remember, is that these powers come from a base of strong emotions. The stronger the emotion, the better; all elements are tied with emotions and they will help you resurface them whilst you fight. It's vital that you remember it. Most of our opponents will not have strong emotions, and hence, will be at a disadvantage," Lily told them.

Harry shook his head, "I don't understand that part."

"Well, Harry, when you look at the life forces and everything around you, you'll find that there are a few things that happen to be completely natural. They would exist regardless of whether or not we did. Magic and the power of the elements are forces that are incredibly difficult to actually have some sort of power over. You may be able to bend them at will, but achieving true authority over them is near impossible. Only the gods in ancient mythology were capable of such a thing, and that was because it was something they had created. However, as an Inferno or as a witch or wizard, we have been given the ability to try to manipulate these forces in order for us to get something. Now, we as people are very connected to our emotions. Pain, happiness, joy, love… Any emotion we feel deeply and strongly, so strongly that these emotions call to our magic and enhance it further. Negative emotions are often channelled into something positive. For example, anger at an enemy will be channelled into protecting the ones we love with everything we have. This is something Voldemort can't comprehend, Harry. He doesn't understand emotion beyond anger or revenge. He doesn't feel. The only thing he is able to do is hate and loathe, and cause other people to hate him. He doesn't understand what love is, having never been able to get someone to give any to him and no one has ever been capable of earning any from him in return. One thing that hasn't been told is that the most important thing for anyone using magic is for them to actually believe it exists, for them to feel the power, the rush, as it courses through your veins. He doesn't believe, and therefore, for him, it doesn't exist. But love has always been there for you, Harry. We all love you and you love us. That is our strength and his weakness."

"So that's how all of this will help me in the end?" Harry asked, looking very shocked.

James nodded.

Ginny gasped, "That's amazing!"

Lily laughed at her enthusiasm, "We'll start next time."

October flew by and as November came in, the Quidditch season had taken Hogwarts by storm. The Gryffindor Quidditch team's preparation for their first match of the season had begun and the team anticipated it even more, as it was against Slytherin.

The first match of the year was between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, with Ravenclaw winning 180 to 30. The Gryffindors were determined to win, seeing as the old rivalries between Slytherin and Gryffindor were burning again, with Umbridge adding more fuel to an already huge fire.

The morning of the match, the Gryffindor team sat at the breakfast table; Ron barely eating anything for what seemed like the first time. Ginny and Hermione were sitting with them. Ginny squeezed Harry's hand, knowing how much he was looking forward to the match, seeing as he hadn't been able to play for the whole of last year.

She knew for Harry, it was his escape from everything that he had to go through on the ground. Up in the air, he could be his age, with no burden, just one goal-to win. It was one of the few times he would get to smile, for Ginny had a feeling that the times coming were harder than what they all had already gone through.

* * *

Hurrying down to the Quidditch Pitch, Ginny and Harry practically ran as the fought the cold wind to reach. Katie ran behind them, calling out.

"Harry, make sure Ron doesn't see what the Slytherins are wearing," Katie said, panting slightly. Her expression was both annoyed and excited.

"Why?" Ginny asked, but Katie didn't have to answer.

Pansy and Blaise passed them with their noses turned upwards, the smug look of satisfaction and vindictive glory pasted all over their faces. Glinting in the November sun were identical badges of _'Weasley Is Our King'. _

Harry groaned and Ginny sighed, "This is going to do wonders for his already low confidence."

Katie nodded, "I know. I think you should go and talk to him, Harry."

Harry looked from Katie to Ginny, "I'm no good with pep talks."

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Yes, but_ you_ are his best mate, and knowing that you have some confidence in him may give him a little of his own."

Harry pinched her cheeks, grinning when she swatted his hands away, "Oh, what would I do without you?"

Ginny laughed and pecked his lips, "Very little, I'm sure. Now off you go. And good luck."

Katie looked away hiding a smile as Harry deepened the kiss, finally breaking apart to say, "That's all I need."

And he took off with a sprint, into the changing rooms, where he found Ron sitting staring at his hands with a sombre expression. Harry changed into his Quidditch robes before sitting beside his best friend and clapping him on the shoulder.

"Mate, you're gonna be fine!"

Ron shook his head, "What was I thinking? I can't play. Forget it. I quit."

"Don't be melodramatic. You're a great player and you know that. If those Slytherins say anything, tell 'em to sod off, or better, block all their attempts to score and you won't need to say anything."

"Are you sure about that?"

Harry nodded, "A hundred per cent. Now c'mon, we'd better get there before Angelina chops off our manhood for being late."

Ron laughed, "Yeah, let's go."

With determined expressions and glares to match the Slytherins', the Gryffindors mounted their brooms, and with a warning to play fair and a whistle from Madam Hooch, the match began.

Disaster struck as the first Quaffle flew through the hoops, Ron being unable to prevent it. The Slytherins, their faces full of cruel glee, began to sing:

_Weasley cannot save a thing,_

_He cannot block a single ring,_

_That's why Slytherins all sing,_

_Weasley is our King._

_Weasley was born in a bin,_

_He always lets the Quaffle in,_

_Weasley will make sure we win,_

_Weasley is our King._

_Weasley is our King,_

_Weasley is our King,_

_He always lets the Quaffle in,_

_Weasley is our King._

Harry groaned as saw the demotivated expression on Ron's face. And as a result, the Quaffle went in again, resulting in a loud cheer from the Slytherin stands.

For the first time in what seemed like a long time, Draco Malfoy seemed like his old evil, cruel self. He flew near Harry, "Like the lyrics? We made them ourselves."

"Piss off, Malfoy," Harry said through gritted teeth, and Malfoy flew off laughing.

Harry shook his head as he turned his attention back to the game, knowing that he'd have to catch the Snitch before Slytherin got any more points. There were green blurs of the Slytherin chasers again as they sped towards their goalpost and scored yet another point.

There was another delighted howl from the Slytherins and another chorus of 'Weasley is our king'. Ron's face turned as scarlet as his Quidditch robes. The Gryffindors just groaned.

Harry was now desperate, seeing how badly Ron was doing. The Gryffindor chasers weaved in and out, finally managing to intercept a pass and score a goal. Harry heaved a sigh of relief and started looking around for the blur of gold.

Harry caught sight of the Snitch around five minutes later, knowing that Ron's confidence was lessening as the Slytherins scored goal after goal after goal. He sped towards the Snitch grinning as he saw the Malfoy was right above it looking in the completely wrong direction. Three minutes later, Harry was holding the Snitch in his hand, Malfoy right next to him, with an expression that could only be described as majorly pissed off.

Harry gave Malfoy a rather large smirk, which was why the trouble began. Crabbe and Goyle took one look at Malfoy's reaction (which was a very sour expression), and started taunting Fred and George about their parents, in particular Mrs Weasley. Harry's eyes widened as he saw Fred lunge for Crabbe whilst George pounced at Goyle. Harry's patience was low already, and it was when Goyle called Lily a Mudblood whore, that Harry lost it. He punched Goyle in the face and then, to his surprise, Malfoy called them off.

"Crabbe, Goyle. Stop it!" Malfoy hissed.

By then, Alicia and Angelina had managed to pull Fred off of Crabbe and Katie had yanked George and Harry back. However it was too late, McGonagall was storming onto the pitch, her expression was a dark, brewing storm. She glared at Harry, Fred and George and they sighed as they followed her to her office. She left Crabbe and Goyle with Umbridge, and Harry had a bad feeling that they weren't going to be punished.

What had surprised Harry the most was the fact that Malfoy hadn't joined in in what seemed to be his favourite sport of a good "Weasley-bashing." All these thoughts disappeared from his mind as they entered McGonagall's office; the door banging shut behind them.

As expected, McGonagall gave them a lecture, docked house points and gave them detention. It was when Umbridge entered the office that Fred, George and Harry exchanged looks of horror. No doubt this old hag was going to make their lives miserable, Harry thought. And he was right. When Harry, Fred and George slouched back to the Gryffindor Tower, they had received a life-long ban from Quidditch as Umbridge thought that the detention wasn't punishment enough. McGonagall's face had been a picture and Harry's mouth had twitched slightly as he had seen her reach for the wand. It comforted him to know that his Head of House hated Umbitch as much as Gryffindor did.

When they entered the Gryffindor Common Room, much of Gryffindor was celebrating the fact that they had won the match. Ginny saw the expression on Harry's face and rushed forward to give him a hug, which he accepted gladly with a soft sigh.

Ginny pulled him to his favourite armchair and pushed him down and then sat on the arm of it. Fred and George sank on the couch next to it and nodded their thanks to Hermione, who handed them each a bottle of Butterbeer.

"What happened?" Angelina asked.

Harry looked at the rug, his heart feeling incredibly heavy, "We've been given a lifelong ban for Quidditch."

"WHAT?" Angelina, Ginny and Katie exploded together.

Hermione was gaping at him. She looked from George to Fred to Harry and then shook her head, "But _how? _McGonagall wouldn't…" She trailed off and all of a sudden there was a hard edge to her voice, "It was Umbridge, wasn't it?"

George nodded, "Yeah, she said something about being disgusted by our show of behaviour."

"But believe it or not, McGonagall was more pissed off than we were. I swear she was about to hex Umbitch," Fred said.

Angelina moaned, "What in the name of Merlin are we going to do now? No Beaters, No Seeker. Oh, this feels like a bloody nightmare."

Harry turned to Ginny, "You can take Seeker position, you're good, and if you want, I'll train you. Please?"

Ginny smiled and stroked his hair, "I'd like to play, although I prefer being a Chaser. Angelina?"

"That works out. I mean it's better than nothing right?" Angelina said bluntly, "Where's Ron?"

Hermione shrugged, slightly worried, "I haven't seen him since the match; I think he's trying to drown himself in the showers."

As if on cue, the portrait hole opened and Ron walked in, looking as miserable as Harry felt.

"Hey, mate, you alright?" Harry asked as Ron sat down next to Hermione.

Ron put his head in his hands, "I'm bloody rubbish. Why the hell did you let me play?"

Hermione shook her head, "Ronald, stop being an idiot. You're _good _at Quidditch; otherwise Angelina wouldn't have let you on the team."

Harry nodded, "You're a good player, Ron; you just have to keep up that faith and confidence when you let in a Quaffle. You let in one, but you stop five, that's how it is. Why are you listening to the bloody Slytherins anyway? They can't play a game without some form of cheating."

"Exactly," Angelina agreed, "Besides, if you leave, we'll only have three Chasers."

"Meaning?" Ron asked, looking around.

Fred and George grimaced and Harry looked at Hermione and Ginny, silently begging one of them to tell the story.

"After the match was over, Crabbe and Goyle started taunting Harry, Fred and George, and they became um, slightly violent. Now, they have a lifelong ban." Ginny sighed.

"Blimey." Ron frowned, "Umbitch?"

"You guessed it," Fred replied bitterly.

Angelina sniffed and got up, "Alright, guys; I'm going to bed. Maybe I'll wake up tomorrow morning and find out that this was a really, _really _bad nightmare."

Harry sighed as he, too, hoped that there would be some sort of miracle that would allow him to play again.

**A/N: Right, so this is going to be a little**** lengthy, so here goes...**

**1. Sorry for the HUGELY late update. I had my exams. Which like I said before are almost over *insert loud squeaky squeal here***

**2. I think I've lost a few readers, so I'm going to try and get them back by updating more frequently.**

**3. I didn't get to reply to your reviews for the last chapter, so I'll do that now. I just really wanted to update. :P**

**4. Yeah that's it. :D Please review, I'd love to hear your feedback on this chapter. And as always, reviews get sneak peeks. :D Let me know your thoughts. **

**Have a super week! **

**Love,**

**Ishani**


	39. Chapter 39:Hagrid's Return

**A/N: A quicker update this time. :) I'm going on holiday for a week so if I thought I should update before I leave haha. I want to dedicate this chapter to two very supportive and advising readers: _MrPatel_ and _sachaelle_ who've been giving me both constructive criticism and compliments both of which are going to work wonders on making me a better writer and making this story better to read. I do have a few more notices at the bottom, but for now, I'll let you read haha :) Happy Reading! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

Chapter 39: Hagrid's Return and a Serpent's Visit

Harry and Ron were still sulking in the Gryffindor Common Room when Hermione got up to look out of the window (for what reason, Harry wasn't sure), and announced excitedly that she had news that would make Harry and Ron feel better.

Harry and Ron were so sceptical that they ignored her. Ginny rolled her eyes at their antics, "Stop pouting, you two! What is it 'Mione? "

Hermione grinned, "Hagrid's back."

The effect these words had on the boys was shocking. As soon as they heard them, Harry and Ron's faces both broke out into wide grins. Harry raced to his dormitory to get the Map and the cloak and raced back down.

The four of them somehow managed to pile underneath it as they hurried to Hagrid's hut. Harry knocked lightly and when the hut door opened, the sight of Hagrid's face alarmed all of them.

Hagrid beckoned them inside and poured them all a cup of tea.

"Hagrid, what in the name of Merlin happened to your face?" Ginny asked, sipping her tea.

He grinned and Harry was once again alarmed to see a few teeth missing.

"It was the giants, wasn't it?" Hermione enquired, raising one of her eyebrows.

Hagrid looked at her in surprise, "How'd you know?"

Ron shuffled uncomfortably, "Well, it was kind of obvious."

Scowling at him, Hagrid sipped his tea and Harry bit back a laugh, "C'mon Hagrid, tell us!"

Hagrid sighed as he looked around at their angelic and pleading faces. He wasn't deceived; he knew what ran in their blood. Troublemakers, and even though Hermione wasn't a Weasley or a Potter, in his opinion, she'd been around both families long enough for her to be a dangerous mixture of the two, "Alrigh'."

Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione sat back entranced as Hagrid began telling his story. He told them how he and Madame Maxime (Hermione and Ginny exchanged knowing looks as Hagrid's face broke into a dreamy smile as he said her name) had set off right after the term ended and journeyed to South France in order to mislead a Ministry employee who was tailing them.

Once they had found the giants, (which hadn't exactly been tricky because of their size), they had gone to the Gurg and had offered him a gift -in this case, a branch of Gubraithian fire.

"A what?" Ron interjected.

"Everlasting fire, Ronald," Hermione huffed irritably, as she thought Ron had interrupted the flow of the story, "Flitwick's been mentioning it in classes for weeks now."

"How come Ginny knew what it was then?" Ron pouted.

"I _read, _Ronald," Ginny replied and Hagrid shook his head amused.

"Yeh done?" Hagrid asked.

They nodded sheepishly and Hagrid continued.

He told them that the Gurg, Karkus, had been happy with the present, and they had told him it was from Albus Dumbledore, but the Gurg didn't speak English, so another giant had to translate. Then they had to return the next day, because Dumbledore wanted them to take it slow. But then, a night later, a massive fight broke out and in the end, the Gurg's head was lying in the snow. Then a new Gurg had taken the lead and his name had been Golgomath, which was something that Hagrid and Madame Maxime hadn't expected, but nevertheless they had tried to befriend him. Not that this had gone well, because two giants had seized them, and had it not been for Madame Maxime and her spellwork, Hagrid reckoned he wouldn't be here to tell the tale.

It turned out that this new Gurg wasn't interested in Dumbledore, but he wasn't opposed to alliances, because as Hagrid and Madame Maxime hid in the caves that night, they saw Golgomath befriending the Death Eaters. But they still didn't give up and tried to persuade a few of the others who didn't like Golgomath much, to join and around six or seven had agreed, but then Golgomath followers had raided the caves, which meant there would be no giants coming to help.

Hagrid had just finished his story when there was a sudden knock on the door and a _hem hem. _Hermione's eyes widened, "It's _her_!"

"Under the cloak," Harry ordered whispering, and the other three rushed in. A few seconds later (after hiding their mugs) Hagrid opened the door.

There stood Professor Umbridge wearing a pink fluffy coat, with a pink headband to match. Her beady eyes took in Hagrid's appearance and then her mouth set in a firm line as she entered the hut.

"Hmm, so you're Hagrid, aren't you?" Umbridge asked in an unfriendly sort of tone. "Get away, you stupid dog," she half-shrieked when Fang tried to lick her.

"Err, I'm sorry, but, who are you?" Hagrid asked, rather perplexed.

Umbridge puffed up her chest and looked at him haughtily, "I am Dolores Jane Umbridge."

Hagrid frowned, "Aren't you one of those Ministry ha-, you work for Fudge."

Ron stopped himself from sniggering under the cloak as he realised Hagrid was going to call her a Ministry hag.

"Yes, I am Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, or I was, anyway," Umbridge replied. "At the moment, I am the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"Oh, well, congratulations," Hagrid said, warmly. "Not that many people fo' the job."

"You should also know," Umbridge pressed on as if she hadn't heard him, "That I am the High Inquisitor at Hogwarts."

"The what?"

"The High Inquisitor, which means I will be inspecting your classes." Umbridge gave Hagrid an evil, twisted smile.

"You're inspectin' us?" Hagrid asked softly.

"Yes. The Ministry wants to get rid of any unsatisfactory teachers. Just thought you ought to know. Goodnight, Hagrid," Umbridge said and left without waiting for a reply.

Hagrid put a finger on his lip and shook his head in the direction of the four children. He walked up to the window and pulled the curtain back an inch to check whether or not she was heading to the castle. When she was a safe distance away, Hagrid allowed them to come out from under the invisibility cloak.

"She's inspectin' people?"

Hermione nodded and took her seat again, "Yeah, Trelawney's already on probation. Hagrid, what have you got planned for your classes?"

Hagrid beamed at her, thinking she was excited to attend one of them, "Oh don' worry abou' that. I got somethin' great planned. Jus' you wait!"

"And by great you mean?" Ginny asked uncertainly, exchanging a worried look with Ron, who looked slightly scared.

"Somethin' real special. Not for your year though, Ginny. The surprise I've got for 'Arry, Ron and Hermione is somethin' I've been savin' especially for their O.W.L year."

Harry raised his eyebrows as discreetly as possible before saying, "Look Hagrid, don't get out anything that's dangerous or anything that the Ministry doesn't like. Umbridge doesn't like the teachers here, especially the ones who are close to Dumbledore, and she'll do just about anything to get you out. So please, _please _don't give her the chance."

Hagrid shook his head, "Don't worry 'about it, kids, alrigh'? Now look, it's late and it's been a long day. Go back and get some rest. And make sure you don't leave any trace of you coming here behind!"

Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny snuck under the cloak again and stepped out, beginning to walk towards the castle. Hermione had already started to make their footprints vanish. All four of them were very worried about what Hagrid's plans were and they knew there was no point trying to his mind.

Nevertheless, Hermione asked, "Ginny, do you want to come back tomorrow and try to persuade him to change his mind?"

Ginny nodded, "I don't want Hagrid to go and Umbridge will use everything he does to her advantage. He's already come back late, looking like he got involved in a major fight. I'm surprised she didn't ask about it."

They were inside the castle now, making their way to the Gryffindor Tower. Harry shook his head and said darkly, "I have a sneaky feeling she's going to mention it in class. I just hope you two can convince him."

Ron nodded, "Yeah, we wouldn't want a repeat of the Blast-Ended Skrewts now, would we?"

Harry and Hermione winced as they remembered them, and all four of them hoped fervently that something would happen to make Hagrid change his mind.

* * *

True to their word, Ginny and Hermione had gone to try and "knock some sense into Hagrid", but returned with no result. It turned out that, when they reached the hut, Hagrid wasn't at home, and after a half hour of both girls yelling and knocking, he had come out from the Forbidden Forest.

When they told Harry and Ron this, both of them looked worried, as they both knew the Forbidden Forest was the best place to hide all things big and scary. Things which Hagrid found cute were generally the exact opposite. Harry shuddered slightly when he remembered Norbert and Buckbeak, who were nice once you got to know them, (or at least Buckbeak was anyway); however, to the average-sized human being, the sight of both of them was rather frightening. Yet Hagrid, being the warm, lovable half-giant he was, he seemed to get away with these things, but Harry knew that this year, Umbitch wouldn't let him.

* * *

The time came for the first Care of Magical Creatures lesson since Hagrid's return and most of the Gryffindors were already anxious, as none of them wanted Hagrid to go on probation. Their worry increased as they were led into the Forbidden Forest.

Harry was about to walk up to Hagrid and try to talk to him, when he noticed the strange creatures that pulled the Hogwarts carriages.

"These are Thestrals. Now I'd imagine some o' you can see 'em and most of you can't. Can anyone tell me why?" Hagrid asked, beaming slightly when Hermione raised her hand, "Yes Hermione?"

Hermione smiled at Hagrid, "The only people capable of seeing Thestrals are those who have witnessed death."

"That's righ', Hermione!" Hagrid nodded. "Ten points to Gryffindor."

Harry and Ron grinned at Hermione.

"Now who can see 'em?" Hagrid asked.

"And what exactly are they supposed to be seeing, Professor Hagrid?" Umbridge had arrived, wearing bright pink once again, a clipboard in her hand and a rather mean expression on her face.

Parvati grimaced as she saw her and turned to Lavender, "If that pink gets any brighter, I'm going to need sunglasses when I look at her."

Hermione heard her and bit back a laugh. She turned her attention to Hagrid, who was explaining that he was teaching them about Thestrals. Umbridge's reaction was just as Hermione had feared. The Ministry thought of Thestrals as dangerous creatures mainly because they were associated with death. Hagrid told her that Thestrals were remarkable creatures with the best sense of direction; he also said that the Ministry are only scared of them because they can't see them and have no control over them.

Harry could see what Hagrid meant. From what he could see, Thestrals weren't dangerous. It was only because they represented death that everyone was so scared of them. And Harry realised that they were different, which caused more animosity towards them. Harry felt a pang of pity mixed with anger as he realised that this was why Luna was treated so weirdly; just because she had different views from everyone. No one would see that she was also a remarkably smart and talented witch -why else would she be in Ravenclaw?

Another example Harry could think of was the bigoted ideas that some pureblood families had about Muggleborns and Squibs. It was just because they were different. That was when it struck him that at times the Ministry of Magic could be as bloodthirsty about power as Voldemort. An example of this would have been them spreading lies about him because he was telling the truth; something they were afraid to believe because it meant that they would be in danger.

Harry shook the thoughts from his head as he noticed Umbridge scribbling on her clipboard with a satisfied (and evil) smirk. He groaned knowing this was not going to end well.

* * *

The weeks passed by and Harry was surprised that the year was going as quickly as it was. James and Lily had decided that they wouldn't have any more sessions since the holidays were nearing and they'd all be home soon. Lily said that they would try to work on their skills for at least an hour every day. Harry couldn't help but feel excited.

The Gryffindor Quidditch team had held tryouts to substitute the players who had been banned. Much to Harry's delight, Ginny had been made Seeker. Fred and George's positions had been taken by Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper (in Ginny's opinion they weren't nearly as good as Fred and George, but they didn't really have many other options).

DA meetings were progressing well, and as most members had a firm grasp on the basics, Harry decided it was time to move on to Stunning and Hexing. This brought a lot of mayhem and fun into their "lessons", and Hermione told Harry that if he didn't go in to playing professional Quidditch and decided not to become an Auror, he could definitely take the post as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher (to which Ron added, "And there's no doubt you'd be way more popular than Umbitch.").

At their last session before the Christmas holidays, Harry asked them to practice all that they had learnt throughout the first term, and he was delighted to see that some students could duel better than some of the Death Eaters. He checked his watch and was surprised to see that it was time for them to go. He whistled once and everyone stopped almost immediately (the amount of authority he had over them surprised Harry).

"Well, that's it for this term, you guys…" Harry began, pausing as there were a few groans from the crowd, causing him to smile a bit, "But we'll continue when we're back. You have picked up everything really well; it's amazing, really. So…err yeah…well done! And I'll see you when we come back. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!" He finished a little awkwardly (Ginny and Hermione exchanged fond glances; they knew how much he hated public speech).

There was a loud round of applause and many 'Merry Christmases' as people slowly began to file out of the Room of Requirement. Harry held back a groan as he saw Cho standing near the mirror crying and Ginny, who was next to him, smiled softly. "I think she wants to talk to you."

Harry sighed, "I don't want to talk to her, though."

Ginny bit back a laugh and gave him a reprimanding look, "Harry, she really did like Cedric and it wasn't fair that he was taken away from her. Just go talk things over with her. It'll make her feel better. I'll meet you in the Common Room."

Harry nodded and kissed her cheek, waving bye to Ron and Hermione and took a deep breath as he walked over to Cho.

He hadn't really noticed it before, but she looked rather unkempt, which was a huge contrast to her immaculate appearance last year. Her hair, although still straight, had lost its sleek, shiny look, her lips were chapped and her eyes had huge dark circles under them.

"Err…Hi."

Cho turned to look at him and hiccupped slightly. Sniffing she said, "Hi, Harry."

"Are you ok?" Harry asked.

Cho gave him a sad smile and sat on a chair that had suddenly appeared, "I should be asking you that. You're the one who…the one who saw h-him die."

Harry wasn't quite sure what to say, "You know, Cho? At first I wasn't fine. His death kept cropping up everywhere; those images of him being struck by green light and the life just fading from his eyes; he falling to the ground and me being unable to stop him from dying. It haunted me all the time, and sometimes it still does. What helped me get over his death was talking to someone who understood what I had gone through."

Cho sniffed, "I don't know what to say about him. I really loved him, Harry, and I think I realised that too late. You know how it is. I should have appreciated what I had when he was there, but I just…I j-j-just took him f-for granted." She paused to wipe the tears on her face, "And now he's gone."

"He knew you loved him. And he loved you. These things happen, Cho. It's the beginning of another war and people are going to die. But mark my words, Voldemort's going to pay for killing Cedric."

Cho stood up, smiled slightly and gave Harry a quick hug. "Thank you, Harry. I-I don't want anyone to go through losing someone they love. I know I was awful before, but this experience has really changed me. Cedric was the kind of person who would be positive no matter what, and he really believed in you, and I'm pretty sure that wherever he is, he still does."

She squeezed Harry's hand briefly and whispered, "Thank you," before exiting the room quietly.

Harry stood staring at the mirror which had pictures of old members of the Order of the Phoenix. His eyes travelled over his parents, Sirius, Remus, his grandparents and everyone else, some of whom he had never got to meet. His eyes flashed angrily as he realised that there were so many families that had been torn apart because of Voldemort and he wanted to get rid of him that much more.

When Harry got back to the Common Room, he was surprised to see Hermione, Ginny and Ron waiting for him.

Hermione gave him a sleepy smile as he sat next to Ginny, "Hey, Harry, what happened?"

Harry sighed and relayed the story.

Ginny kissed his cheek, "That was nice of you, Harry."

Ron nodded, "Especially as she was such a bitch to you last year."

"Watch your language, Ronald Weasley!" Hermione growled.

"What? Oh, sorry, forgot there's a kid here," Ron snickered as he pointed at Ginny who promptly showed him the finger. Ron looked at Hermione scandalized, "How come you won't say anything to her?"

Hermione winked at Ginny, "I don't know what you're talking about. Let's go, Ginny?"

Ginny nodded and gave Harry a long kiss goodnight. Too long in Ron's opinion, and he cleared his throat three times, looking away, scowling after that as they still hadn't stopped.

"Good night." Hermione smiled, kissing both Harry and Ron on their cheeks before walking off with Ginny,

After they'd gone, Harry raised his eyebrows at Ron, "Girls, eh?"

"I know. Can't live with 'em, but you can't live without them either," Ron sighed.

Harry closed his eyes and lay his head down on the pillow softly, thinking about Ginny as he always did before he fell asleep. He slowly slipped into a slumber with dreams of her. Then suddenly the dream changed and everything around him went dark.

He felt the cold floor beneath him as he slithered, his little tongue flaring out at regular intervals. There was a little patch of light where he slithered to where a man was standing. He was under a cloak, but Harry could smell him. He slid nearer and slithered over the foot of the man. The man jumped and the cloak fell off. Without a second's delay, he bit the man three times; the screams echoing around the place.

Ron watched as his best friend writhed in bed, shrieking and screaming. Nodding at Neville, they shook him hard.

"Harry, mate, you alright?"

Harry woke up and pressed a hand to his scar, his head throbbing painfully and his throat slightly hoarse. "Ron, your dad. He's been attacked by a snake."

"What?" Ron looked confused and very worried.

"Y-your dad's been attacked by a snake. He needs help."

Neville nodded, "I'll go call McGonagall." He hurried out of the room and Ron looked at Harry, taking in his friend's expression. It wasn't new for Ron to hear the screams of his best friend when he had nightmares, but this one was one of the worst ever. Ron knew they would continue to worsen as Voldemort grew stronger.

"You're sure it wasn't just a dream?"

Harry shook his head, "It was real, Ron, and your dad's injured. Really badly."

McGonagall rushed in seconds later with a flustered looking Neville, "Potter? What happened? Are you alright? Longbottom said you had some sort of dream."

Harry shoved on his glasses, slightly annoyed, "It wasn't a _dream_! It really happened. Mr Weasley's been attacked by a giant snake."

"Preposterous!" McGonagall looked at him with shock.

"No; it's true. He was on guard duty, guarding whatever it is that the Order is guarding and this snake came up, out of nowhere and b-bit Mr Weasley. I swear it is true; Professor."

McGonagall looked at Harry, "Alright. Let's go to Professor Dumbledore. Weasley, you come too. "

They walked quickly to the gargoyle and McGonagall whispered the password. They hurried up the stairs. Harry could hear voices from inside the room. McGonagall knocked and there were a tense three seconds before a voice said, "Enter."

McGonagall swept inside, "Albus, Potter had a dream about Arth-"

"It wasn't a dream!" Harry interjected angrily.

McGonagall huffed irritably, "Alright, Potter, you tell him,"

"I saw Mr Weasley being bitten by a giant snake."

Dumbledore was facing the portraits of the old Headmasters who were pretending to be asleep, "How did you see this?"

"Well, I was dreaming of something and then suddenly-" Harry began.

Dumbledore interrupted, "No, no. I mean did you see it from the snake's point of view or were you watching it happening?"

Harry looked to the floor wondering why Dumbledore wasn't turning around to face him, "I-I saw if from the snake's point of view. I w-was the snake."

Dumbledore sighed and moved to the portraits of a sleeping witch and wizard, "Dilys, Everard, You heard everything. Go and raise an alarm and make sure Arthur is found by the right people."

Both portraits nodded and disappeared. Dumbledore asked McGonagall to draw up some chairs and told Harry and Ron to take a seat. Dumbledore moved to Fawkes and murmured softly; Fawkes disappeared in a flash of fire. Dumbledore then took a fragile silver instrument and tapped it with his wand. Green smoke emitted from it and then it took the shape of a green serpent. Harry looked at Dumbledore with alarm. It was as if Dumbledore sensed Harry's shock because he began to mutter to it to fade away.

"Dumbledore!" The man named Everard was back in his portrait, "Arthur's been found. But he's seriously injured and he's lost a lot of blood."

Dilys appeared next and added, "He's being taken to St Mungo's."

Dumbledore nodded, "Thank you." He turned to Professor McGonagall, "Minerva, can I ask you to please fetch the rest of the Weasleys? They ought to know their father's been injured."

Professor McGonagall nodded and left the room, and a few minutes later, she came back with Ginny, Fred and George all of whom looked very puzzled and slightly worried. In the meantime time, Dumbledore had taken a black kettle and turned it into a Portkey; Ron and Harry watching, slightly awed, as it was against the Wizarding Law to use an unauthorized Portkey.

"You're going to be sent to Grimmauld Place. That is the safest location at the moment. I will notify both your parents. Sirius is there at the present time and he will take care of you," Dumbledore informed them.

All of a sudden, Fawkes flashed in and dropped a feather. A flash of something similar to anger flashed through Dumbledore's eyes and he spoke softly to McGonagall, "Dolores appears to know students are out of their beds, just go and tell her any story. Children, gather around."

McGonagall nodded and left hurriedly, as everyone else put a finger on the Portkey. Harry looked at Dumbledore and unexpectedly felt a sharp, burning pain as his scar tingled agonizingly and he felt an intense hatred for his headmaster. Before he could react, however, he felt a sudden jerk at his navel as the Portkey spiralled the children away.

Muffled groans were let out as they landed on top of each other, near the kitchen. Harry, who was on top, leapt up quickly and rushed to the kitchen, aware of the many eyes that were following him curiously. The four Weasleys followed him, eager to know what had happened.

Harry stood leaning against the counter and Ginny rushed forward to give him a hug.

George looked at him worried, "Mate, what happened?"

"I had this...this dream, only it was more of a vision and there was the snake who b-bit your dad and it actually happened. They've taken him to St Mungo's now."

Ginny rubbed a soothing hand up and down Harry's back, although she was becoming paler and paler by the second. "Is he going to be okay?"

Harry couldn't look her in the eyes, "There was a lot of blood. I just hope..." he trailed off.

Fred started pacing, Ron stood in the corner wringing his hands and George perched himself on the counter next to Harry.

"We need to get to St Mungo's!" Fred exclaimed.

Harry opened his mouth to object, but Ginny had it covered, "Fred, don't be an idiot. Mum has enough to worry about without us being there to create havoc. Dumbledore sent us here and we've got to stay put."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Lily sighed as she walked in with James, Remus and Sirius.

George shook his head, "He's our father."

"Really? I had no idea," Ginny said sarcastically. "Going there is not going to help him and he wouldn't want us to see him like this. He's fine."

"How the hell do you know?" Ron yelled.

"Because...because I do. He has to be." Ginny blinked back furious tears and buried her face into Harry's chest.

"Alright, everyone calm down. Arthur is fine..." Remus began, but was cut off by Errol swooping in and dropping a letter on George's head.

"Bloody owl," George muttered. Then took the note from Errol and read aloud, **"Your father is at St Mungo's. The healers are trying everything they possibly can and they're saying that he's going to be fine. Stay where you are and do not panic. Your father's going to be alright. I'll come to collect you soon. Love, Mum.**"

"That's convincing," Fred muttered.

Lily sighed, "Alright, I'm going to make us some tea. Sit down all of you. Harry, sweetie, go with your Dad, he wants to talk to you."

James beckoned Harry and watched fondly as his son gently left Ginny, leading her to a chair, before going to his father.

"Come with me, kiddo," James led them out of the kitchen and into a nearby room before grabbing Harry and pulling him in for a hug. "Tell me what happened."

Harry started his story. Lily arrived two minutes later and stood with her husband worriedly as Harry told them what had happened.

James pursed his lips as Harry told him about what had happened when he had looked at Dumbledore.

Lily moaned softly, "Honey, we're not sure how to explain any of this, but you really need to stop blaming yourself for this. If anything, you probably saved Arthur's life."

Harry shrugged, "I just hope he'll be ok."

James nodded, "He will be. Now, why don't you come and eat something. Food's the best medicine."

Harry smiled softly, "Yeah let's go." As he went, he let out a prayer to whatever higher power existed to make sure that Arthur Weasley recovered quickly.

**A/N: I started writing this story when I was 12 I think, so the beginning chapters could use a little more work. So once I get a bit further into the story, I'm going to go back and take a look at those because I find them a bit silly when I read over them and because I keep getting the same comments in my reviews about them.**

**I'm not going to change the plot however because although I do like the suggestions and criticism (well, maybe not the latter so much haha :P), it is my story. So Harry will be left at the Dursleys but maybe I'll include a part where James and Lily argue with Dumbledore because they want to bring him home, so you can see the reasons.**

**There have also been questions as to why Sirius Black was still thought of as guilty for being the one who gave away Lily and James' location. Basically everyone thought that Sirius led Voldemort to Peter because they didn't think Peter had even that much backbone to be in the league with Voldemort. So I'll include that in somewhere too.**

**If you have any other requests or questions let me know (nicely :P) by either reviewing or PM-ing me. **

**As always a MASSIVE thank you to all the people who've reviewed, favourited, or added this story to their alerts. It basically makes my day, week and month when I get positive feedback in whatever manner. **

**To my beta, GinnyGuerra: Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your patience with my errors haha :) This story wouldn't be what it is without you. **

**Well, I think that's it for now :P**

**Leave me a review for a sneak peek of what'll be coming up next!**

**Have a fabulous week :D**

**Love,**

**Ishani**

**P.S. If you read the whole author's note thing, here's a virtual box of Chocolate Frogs for you ;) *sends chocolates* :P**


	40. Chapter 40:Christmas and Snape

**A/N: Hello! I'm back from my holiday which was absolutely wonderful. Nepal is amazing, I highly recommend you go there once in your lifetime. But more on all that later. I would have updated sooner but my wonderful laptop decided to crash on me just as I was finishing Chapter 41 and it wouldn't start up again. Thankfully my data is safe so my story plans and everything remains intact. Its just my laptop that won't start so I'm using a temporary one haha. I want to thank all of my wonderful reviewers who leave me smiling with their feedback. Thank you thank you thank you. And for now, I'll stop my chatter and let you all read. (I don't think there's a chapter where I haven't said that before :P). Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 40: Christmas and Snape.

Later on, Ginny had cornered Harry whilst everyone played a game of Exploding Snap to deviate their minds from worrying about Arthur. Harry had politely declined and left the room to mope in the room that he was staying in. Hermione and Lily exchanged slightly surprised glances when Ginny shook her head, sighed and followed after him.

"Hey, Honey," Ginny said softly when she reached the room.

Harry looked up, "Hi."

Ginny walked up to him, sat down, tilted his chin up and kissed him softly on the lips.

Harry smiled slightly as he felt a current of warmth spread through his body, "Thank you, Gin."

"Anytime...Harry, what's wrong?" Ginny asked softly.

"I kind of feel as though...as though it's my fault. Ginny, I saw it through the eyes of the snake. I _was _the snake. I wanted to bite your dad." Harry sighed, "It's my fault."

Ginny hugged him, "It's not your fault, Harry. Voldemort had something to do with this. He's an exceptionally powerful wizard. He must have planted the dream in your mind. It wasn't your fault. You didn't want to hurt my dad. You're a good man, Sweetie. Don't blame yourself." She kissed the top of his head and then his cheeks, "Okay?"

Harry nodded slightly, kissing her lips and wondering what on earth he'd do without her.

They jumped apart when Sirius, Fred and George's loud voices came from downstairs.

"Oii, you two-" Fred started.

"-what are you doing up there?"

"HOPE IT'S NOTHING ILLEGAL," Sirius yelled.

Harry rolled his eyes and Ginny yelled back, "It's nothing you wouldn't do."

They both returned downstairs and Sirius laughed, "That doesn't leave you with many options, my dear little redhead."

Harry snorted, "How's Aurora?"

Sirius blushed and was incredibly thankful when Lily announced along with Molly that it was time to go to St Mungo's to visit Arthur.

As only a certain number of people could go, Lily, James and Sirius decided to stay behind as Molly said Arthur wanted to see Harry.

They journeyed on the Knight Bus to a 'closed' Muggle department store called Purge and Dowse, Ltd, where there was a large dummy. Ignoring the closed sign, Tonks marched through the door and entered the reception area. Molly asked the welcome witch for Arthur Weasley and she instructed them to his room.

Harry sighed, relieved when he saw Mr Weasley looking miles better than in his dream. And of course he had somehow managed to keep his spirits up grinning when he saw his children, his wife and Harry wave from outside the room. Harry noticed that Mr Weasley only had one arm bandaged. He told them that he had to have the bandages on all the time because the poison made him keep on bleeding. He told Harry that there was a man who had gotten bitten by a werewolf and Harry promised Mr Weasley that he would tell Remus to drop in later on to talk to him.

The adults wanted to talk, so Mrs Weasley ushered the children out of the room. Fred and George grinned, pulling out three pairs of Extendable Ears, which were a product that they had invented during the summer.

"We're just lucky that Harry saw this," Molly commented.

"Lucky? You must be outta your mind, Molly. Seeing this sort of thing is horribly dangerous. The boy might have been possessed by Voldemort."

Harry dropped the Extendable Ear and Ron and Ginny exchanged nervous looks. Harry looked shaken and he started trembling a little. He didn't say anything on the way back to Grimmauld Place, and when they arrived he told everyone he wanted to go to sleep and locked himself in his room.

He sat on the bed with his head in his hands, a million thoughts going through his mind. If Voldemort was possessing him, it made sense that he could feel emotions that weren't his, and the dreams about the corridors and the snakes, his scar paining randomly, his unexpected burst of anger.

Suddenly the bedroom door opened and Lily, James and Ginny stood there.

"Oh sweetheart, you look a fright." Lily said sighing as she pulled him in for a hug.

James nodded, "Ron and Ginny told us what you overheard and you're not being possessed."

Harry glared at all three of them, "How the hell do you know that? You've never been possessed. You don't understand-"

"Harry, shut up," Ginny said softly, "I have been possessed and it'll be very easy to tell if you have. First of all, stop blaming yourself. It isn't your fault. Voldemort's exceptionally powerful and there's nothing you can do about that."

Harry ducked his head, "Yes, ma'am."

"Have there been any instances where you couldn't remember where you were or what you were doing there? Have you had any blank spots in your head?" Ginny asked.

Harry shook his head.

"Then you're not being possessed, Honey," Ginny kissed his cheek.

Lily and James suppressed smiles seeing how well she was able to handle their son, "See? Kiddo, you've nothing to worry about. Anyway, Ron and Neville said they saw you thrashing around in your bed for ages before they were able to wake you up. And as powerful as Voldemort is, he couldn't get you out of Hogwarts and especially not whilst Dumbledore is headmaster. Alright?"

Harry nodded.

"Let's all go downstairs. I think you could use a bite to eat." Lily smiled at Harry.

Ginny grinned at her boyfriend as his parents went down the stairs, "You do have a bit of flair for the dramatic, don't you?"

Harry just blushed and let himself be pulled to the dining room.

* * *

Christmas was to be spent at Grimmauld Place as it was closer to St Mungo's. Mr Weasley returned on Christmas Eve and it was a time for fun and family.

Hermione had arrived late that afternoon saying that skiing just wasn't as fun for her. Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Harry went to the living room, and just as they entered, hushed voices that had filled the room a second ago stopped.

Tonks was sitting next to Remus, who looked slightly sheepish. Tonks, on the other hand, looked positively furious.

Puzzled, Harry was about to ask him what had happened, but when he saw the glares Remus was receiving from Mrs Weasley, Lily and Dorea (who had arrived with the twins just after Harry's first visit to St Mungo's), Harry decided not to ask and instead settled on the couch opposite, his arm wrapped around Ginny.

"What's the scene with Uncle Remus and Tonks?" Harry whispered to Ginny.

Hermione, who was sitting on Harry's other side, exchanged an exasperated look with Ginny. Ginny sighed as she replied, "Remus is being a prat and won't admit to himself that he is head over heels for Tonks. Tonks is beside herself in trying to convince him to give their love a chance, but Remus keeps saying no because he's a werewolf and he's dangerous."

"Well, that's completely barmy," Ron commented from Ginny's other side.

Harry nodded in agreement, "It is. Both my uncles are stupid when it comes to love."

Ginny laughed and whispered in his ear, "So are your best friends."

Harry chuckled, "Right you are."

James and Sirius walked in with Arya and Iris, who ran to Harry. He pulled them up smiling. They were only three and it was hard to believe they were growing up so fast. As they were exactly identical, Lily and James had decided to keep Arya's hair long, around waist-length, and Iris's shoulder-length, and as of yet, it was the only way you could tell them apart.

From what Harry had heard from his parents, Arya and Iris were the Fred and George of the Potter family without a doubt. Not only were they horribly mischievous, but their innocent faces made them even more deceiving. All in all, they were rather dangerous.

They were also absolutely adorable, and Harry knew that, when they were older, he, his father and his uncles would need baseball bats and a hell of a lot of curses to keep away the guys that would try to go after them.

He sighed slightly as Ginny leant back against him as Arthur, Fred and George filed into the room.

They played a few Wizarding games like Twister (which was originally a Muggle game), but in the Wizarding version, the mat sent out hands to tickle and poke you along with the large coloured circles shifting ever so slightly in order for you to lose your balance.

This was followed by eating roasted chestnuts and having steaming cups of hot chocolate topped off with a lot of whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.

Christmas morning was a very noisy affair. Molly, Lily, Ginny, Hermione and Dorea insisted on making the meals for the day and both Dobby and Winky (who'd been called to work there for the time being) were told to take the day off.

Everyone then crowded in the living room to open presents.

Harry smiled as he opened his. Ron had given him a Broom Compass so he wouldn't lose his way. Lily and James had given him a big box of Chocolate Frogs and a new leather jacket. Hermione had given him a homework planner (and Harry could tell from the peeved look on Ron's face that he'd been given one too). Hagrid had given him a wallet with fangs which was supposed to stop thieves from getting his prized possessions, and although Harry appreciated the sentiment, he had no idea how he would use it. Tonks had given him a mini model of a Firebolt (which he was grateful for as he missed his life-sized one very dearly). From Mr and Mrs Weasley, he'd been given a knitted jumper with D.A. written on it and a big box of treacle tarts. Sirius and Remus had given him several books about dark arts and how to fight them. From Ginny he'd been given a Harry Potter stuffed teddy and a dark blue sweater.

Harry raised his eyebrows at her, "Parvati and Lavender were going on about how Twilfitt and Tattings had paired up with some other company to make stuffed teddy bears of Wizarding celebrities. They're charmed to talk like the person and it moves and everything if you give it instructions," Ginny explained.

Harry held it up to show everyone and chuckled as they burst out laughing. James grinned; no doubt Ginny Weasley was going to fit into this family just fine.

Harry had gotten Ginny a gorgeous pair of butterfly earrings along with an entire box of her favourite flavours from Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans -Cherry and Cinnamon which he'd gotten ordered specially. And all the effort he'd made was completely worth it when she gave him a brilliant smile and a soft kiss on his cheek. He smiled at her, knowing he had undoubtedly fallen for her, and, Merlin, had he fallen hard.

* * *

Towards the end of the holidays, Harry was in his room reading when Lily entered.

"Sweetheart, Professor Snape wants to see you."

"WHAT?" Harry yelped, "Why does he want to see me?"

Lily shook her head, "You'll find out when you get downstairs. Come on now. He's a man who does not like to be kept waiting, especially when he's in the presence of your father and uncles."

"Right," Harry said nodding as he ran down the stairs to find, much to his disgust, Professor Snape seated in the living room with the Marauders sitting in front of him, and the look of repulsion on his Professor's face was mirrored on the faces of his father and Sirius. He cleared his throat. "Professor Snape, you wanted to see me?"

Snape nodded, "Yes, Potter. Dumbledore has deemed it imperative for you to be taught the art of Occlumency in the light of recent events."

"Occlumency? Isn't that when you can stop people reading your mind?" Harry asked.

Snape scoffed, "It's when you can stop people from penetrating it."

Harry looked at his father, "I'm not possessed."

Lily nodded from the doorway, "No, sweetheart, you're not. However, the scar on your forehead somehow connects you to Voldemort, so it's very important that you block him out."

"But it's come in handy so far,"

"Yes, Potter, but if the Dark Lord was to find out about the connection, he would try to use it against you. It's very important that you master Occlumency," Snape said impatiently.

"Ok. I'll do it. Who's my teacher?"

Snape's face adopted a funny expression as if he had just eaten something sour and smelt something very bad at the same time, "Me."

Harry gaped at him, "You? Why? Why can't Dumbledore teach me?"

"I assure you, Potter, I did not beg for the job. Dumbledore does not have enough time to teach you, and therefore he has assigned the task to me. You will meet me in my office on Monday at eight o'clock sharp. Tell everyone else that you're taking remedial potions," Snape said.

"Just a minute there Snivellus-" James began trailing off when Lily cleared her throat, glaring at her husband.

"Severus," James corrected slightly disgruntled, "If I find out you're going to bully Harry in these lessons, you'll have to answer to me."

"And me." Sirius said.

_Ah what the hell, _Remus thought, "And me."

Snape sneered, "How sweet. But I assure you, I won't stoop to your level. The boy will be taught in the best interest of his safety and I intend to see it through."

James nodded roughly, "Thanks then."

Lily stepped forward clasping her husband's hand in approval, "Thank you, Severus."

Snape nodded at her, sneered at everyone else and left.

Harry pouted at his family, "Why can't one of you teach me? Why does it have to be him?"

Lily laughed and pulled him in for a hug, "Because he's more qualified than any one of us."

James ruffled his son's hair, "If he does anything to hurt you, come tell us ok?"

Harry nodded and then he ran off to tell Hermione, Ron and Ginny about what had happened, wondering if this year could get any worse.

**A/N: I really _really _want you thank all you readers for all of your support. **

**A little note for the Anons, I don't mind you reviewing, but (and I have said this before), I can't reply so I obviously can't send sneak peeks. And since I can't thank you 'in person', I just wanted to say thank you so much for all of your lovely reviews! :)**

**Next I have a few fanfiction recommendations:**

**_Linked_ by_ Philyra912: _**_[Not HBP compatible] When a Potions assignment has a rare and disturbing side effect on Draco and Hermione, they will learn more about each other than they ever wanted to know. Runnerup at Dangerous Liaisons Awards, Winner at Dragon's Bride Awards!_

**It's really a brilliant story! You should all go out and read it and review it a billion times because it just leaves you with a hugely warm feeling at the end.**_  
_

**The second one is equally amazing.**

**_For Rent _by _me19:_**_Thanks to Blaise Zabini, 26 year old Draco Malfoy has to pretend to be married to a Muggle-born witch in order to secure a business deal. Who's the best Muggle-born witch for the job? Why, Hermione Granger of course!_

**However it's unfinished, so maybe if you review it and review it and review it, the author will update because it leaves you on a terrible cliffhanger. But it honestly is worth the read. **

**So next chapter, there is a little juicy bit****, which I have very much enjoyed writing. I just need it to be Beta-ed though. You're going to get a little look into someone else's love life. :)**

**I'm trying to avoid going to the Ministry of Magic somehow, but I think they'll have to go if only to tell the world that Voldemort had really returned, but I am going to be changing certain things, so I'm very very excited about the oncoming chapters. **

**As always reviews get sneak peeks. :)**

**Have a magical week!**

**Love,**

**Ishani**


	41. Chapter 41:Occlumency and Breakouts

**A/N: You must all be wondering if you're hallucinating. An update? So soon? Well it turns out that recently I've been inspired and I've been writing quite a bit. College admissions are being dicey, but if all goes well, I should start in August, first week. So, I'll try to get a few chapters written and then update more frequently than I did in the past. I have more to say, but that'll all be at the bottom. Thank you so much for the absolutely amazing feedback I've been getting! I loved writing this chapter, especially a certain, specific part that I hope you'll like too. Meet you at the bottom, but for now, happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 41: Occlumency, Breakouts and MC Hammer

Harry was dreading the return to school and his Occlumency lessons with Snape. He wondered if his 'powers' would help him with the Occlumency and made a mental note to ask his mother about it.

His first day was nothing short of tiring. With Umbridge still being (for a lack of better word in Harry's opinion) a bitch, and the other lessons being horribly gruelling, Harry felt lethargic and sleepy by the time he reached Snape's dungeons.

When he stepped in he was shocked to see Dumbledore's pensive floating in front of Snape's desk. "Close the door behind you, Potter."

Harry did as he was told feeling slightly nervous about being alone in a room with Snape. No doubt, the man frightened him more than Voldemort ever had.

Snape gestured for Harry to sit down on a stiff wooden chair, "I must tell you how important it is that you master Occlumency, Potter. I have been given this task and however unpleasant it is, I intend to see it through. You need Occlumency to protect yourself from Legilimency, which is the ability to read, extract and tamper with the memories in a person's mind. The Dark Lord is one of the world's greatest Legilimens and therefore it is important that you become very good, very fast. The pathetically troublesome scar on your forehead acts as a link between you and the Dark Lord. When you saw Arthur Weasley being bitten by the snake, the Dark Lord became aware of the connection and he may try to use it against you."

Harry was surprised to find the Snape was being decent to him, so he decided to return the favour, "Ok, sir. How do I master the art?"

Snape bit back a smile, remembering his reputation of an evil bat, "Practice is very important. Also work on organizing your mind. First I want you to organize everything into categories of your parents and friends and whatever mindless activities you do in your spare time. Then, everyday, I want you to meditate before going to bed and sort through the day's events. Not only will this help you in Occlumency, but it will also help you be more organized and calm."

"Every night?" Harry moaned.

Snape glared at him slightly, wondering first of all why on earth the Potter brat was so comfortable with him and secondly why he had adopted that ridiculously childish tone all of a sudden, "I thought I had made myself perfectly clear. Now, clear your mind."

Harry nodded as he composed himself and cleared his mind of everything that had happened that day, but he found it was increasingly difficult because as he sorted one memory, he began to think about it, which led to a whole bunch of other thoughts and memories. His brows furrowed as he saw Snape taking out silvery, cloudlike streams of his memories and empty them into the pensive. He wondered why he wasn't allowed to do that, and it wasn't long before he voiced the thought.

Snape rolled his eyes, "Well, when the Dark Lord attacks your mind, he isn't going to wait for you to empty it out first, now is he? And as I recall, I told you to empty your mind, not fill it with more inane thoughts. Now, let's see how well you've done. _Legilimens."_

Harry felt his mind being penetrated by what felt like a hand, and he gasped as it began prodding and poking, sifting through his memories. Memories started flashing by in his mind, like the lights from windows of a moving train: Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon yelling at him, his first time in Potter Manor, the Sorting Hat, holding Arya and Iris, Ginny in the Chamber of Secrets, winning the Quidditch Cup, Cedric Diggory dying, him cupping Ginny's face and moving in to kiss her—but no! Harry didn't want Snape seeing such a private memory and he urged his mind to throw him out.

Snape swore under his breath and Harry looked up to see a large red ugly welt on his Professor's wrist. "Did you intend on using the Stinging Hex."

Harry winced, "Not exactly."

"I thought as much. That was quite poor, but I suppose that's alright, considering it was your first attempt. But you must try to block me out."

"But I don't know how."

"Close your mind off. Resist me with your mind, not your wand or any other weapon you may possess. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Let's try again."

The same feeling of a hand sorting through his memories took over Harry's mind and he was unable to throw Snape out of his mind until he reached the memory of the corridor leading to the Department of Mysteries. Harry shook himself back to reality.

"What's in the Department of Mysteries, professor?" Harry asked.

Snape paled and his lips set in a grim line, "_What _did you say?"

"The Department of Mysteries, sir, what's in it?"

"That is none of your business, Potter. May I ask why you've been seeing this corridor?"

"I've had dreams about it since this summer."

"Well you need to stop." Snape said sharply, "Practice blocking your mind and your thoughts, especially from things that seem unfamiliar to you. This should reduce some nightmares too. You can go now."

Harry nodded, "Thank you, sir."

As he went upstairs to the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry felt his head pound like a million knives were stabbing it, a thousand times a second. He swore slightly knowing that this was just the beginning of a very bad headache.

Ginny and Hermione frowned as they saw him, and Ron, ever the tactful one, said, "Harry, mate, you look terrible."

Harry groaned slightly as he sat down next to Ginny, "I feel terrible." He let a soft sigh when he felt Ginny's soft fingers press his temples, "Thank you, Gin."

Hermione shot up to the girl's dormitories and came back with a small flask with a white coloured potion. "Lily told me to give you this."

Harry smiled at her, "Thanks 'Mione. Err...what is it?"

"A potion that's supposed to help with your headache. Lily told me it would stop it in a bit."

Harry smiled, "I love my mum."

Ginny laughed, "So, how was your lesson?"

Harry shrugged, "Well, honestly, Snape was decent,-"

"Did he make you drink a potion so you'd say that?" Ron asked, half joking, half serious.

Harry shook his head, "No; he was actually nice. And he told me how I can do this Occlumency stuff. It's just really advanced. It's like an invisible hand prodding your brain for information and you have to get it out. It's hard."

Alissa came down the stairs of the dormitory that instant and saw Harry's face, "What happened?"

Harry exchanged glances with Hermione wondering if he should tell her the truth and decided to, as she already knew about the dreams. She was becoming very close to their group, and Harry knew that the real weapon they possessed was unity and love, which were foreign concepts for Voldemort.

Alissa winced as he explained what had happened, "That sounds painful."

Harry nodded, "It was."

Ginny smiled at Alissa, "We missed you over Christmas Ali, how was it?"

"Well, it was alright I guess. Ted came over to stay with us and my father paid us a visit, which was horribly unpleasant. I'm quite glad I don't live with him. Anyway, my mum decided to join the Order and my father has too. He's like Snape now, a spy, and from what I know, it's horribly dangerous, but I guess he has to make up for all the horrible things he's done to other families. So it's fair. I just hope that nothing will happen to him. Christmas was fun, though, it felt like a family."

Harry smiled at her, "That's good, Ali; it means we'll be able to see you over the holidays and meet your parents from time to time too! Anyway, I'm sure everything will be fine. We've got Dumbledore."

Hermione nodded, "I just hope nothing bad happens. Although I get this bad feeling sometimes, I'm glad we started the DA."

Ginny nodded, "Me too. It feels like we'll be able to do something when the time comes, and the time is coming. I can feel it."

Ron shook his head, "I don't think we should think about it. I think that we're the greatest strength you know? Our love and care for each other, that's what makes us so powerful. So let's just focus on the good for now." He blushed when everyone stared at him with shock.

"Mate, I think that's the first time you've ever made sense," Harry joked.

"Oh sod off," Ron glared at him.

Everyone laughed, but Harry felt his laughter falter when a sharp bolt of pain attacked his scar, his eyes watering. And suddenly evil laughter filled his mind. He clasped his forehead tightly.

"Harry? What happened?" Ginny asked alarmed.

Harry composed himself before he said, "Voldemort, the connection...He's extremely happy about something."

"He can be happy?" Ron asked, bewildered.

Harry's lips twitched, but he couldn't smile. Voldemort had never been this gleeful in the fifteen years that Harry had lived. Something was definitely wrong

"What is he happy about?" Hermione asked softly, her face pale.

Harry looked at her, "I have no idea, but I doubt it'll be good news."

Alissa shook her head, "There's no point thinking about it now, we'll probably find out tomorrow. I think we should all get rest. You, especially Harry, you look like you need it."

They agreed and traipsed off to bed; all wondering what on earth had caused Voldemort to be so happy for the first time in fifteen years.

* * *

The next morning at breakfast, Neville unravelled the Daily Prophet and dropped in on the floor, his hands going limp and his face pale.

"Nev? Neville? What happened?" Hermione asked concerned.

Neville's face contorted to one that was mixed with sadness and a rage unlike any Harry had ever seen on Neville's face. He showed them the Daily Prophet. Alissa, Ginny, Hermione, Ron and Harry all gathered around.

_**Mass Breakout from Azkaban Prison**_

_Yesterday night, havoc broke out as several prisoners broke out of Azkaban Prison despite being under high security. _

_The Minister of Magic, this morning confirmed the escape of ten high security prisoners from what was regarded as one of the safest places in the Wizarding World; and of course Azkaban Prison was also previously known as the securest establishment to hold prisoners of such sort. This was called into question when the wrongly-accused Sirius Black escaped in 1993, July._

"_It is quite a predicament to me and there is no doubt that the Ministry will be launching a full-fledged inquiry into the matter," Fudge said, "We have had to inform the Muggle Prime Minister due the severities of the incident. Furthermore, this sort of mass breakout is no coincidence, but it must mean that these followers of You-Know-Who have been urged to breakout by the rumours spread by Potter and Dumbledore about the return of their Master. We, as the governors of your safety and security are doing all we can to catch the criminals but we request the Magical community to be both calm and vigilant."_

_The names of some of the escapees are Bellatrix Lestrange, cousin of Sirius Black who was imprisoned for the torture and permanent incapacitation of Alice and Frank Longbottom, her husband and his brother, Rudolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, who are said to be the leaders of this breakout._

All of them turned to Neville who was looking down.

"N-Neville, are you alright?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

Harry placed a calming hand on Neville's shoulder. Neville looked at Hermione. "Fourteen years ago, Bellatrix Lestrange used the Cruciatus Curse on my parents to torture them for information but they never gave in. That's why they're in St Mungo's now and it would take a miracle to heal them."

Ginny gasped, "Oh Neville, I'm so sorry."

"Why didn't you ever tell us Nev?" Ron asked.

Neville shrugged, "It just never came up. I'm really proud of them, and I want to make them proud of me. But if I ever get into a fight with that witch, I swear to Merlin, if I don't kill her first and I go down instead, I'll take her with me."

Hermione smiled and Alissa squeezed his hand, "They'd be proud of you, Neville."

"Thanks, guys."

Sensing that he wanted to change the subject, everyone else started to talk about the lessons that they had and Neville was grateful. He'd made up his mind, though; he may not be the greatest wizard, but he was going to make all those people who'd hurt and destroyed families pay.

* * *

Aurora Reed entered the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix with a slightly disgruntled expression on her face, cursing the utterly undependable British weather. She didn't know what to expect when she entered. For some reason Lily and James had insisted that they have the meeting there, along with a late lunch. She wouldn't have minded that had it not been for the fact that Sirius Black was joining them.

Sirius Black. She mulled over his name in her head. For some reason she couldn't quite pinpoint, she found that name ridiculously attractive. _Perhaps, _a little traitorous voice in her head whispered, _it's not quite the name as much as the person it belongs to. _And she did have to admit, Sirius Black was quite the looker. Even in his mid thirties, he had that roguish look of a prankster and the charm of a well-practiced devil, enough that it made him appear a gentleman.

His interest in her was not a secret either. James Potter had taken the liberty to inform her that Sirius Black was very direct with his approach to women; she'd been scarred by enough charming womanizers before to know that she didn't want to go there again. But every time he happened to be in the same room as her, butterflies invaded her belly, and when he left, she sometimes let go of a breath she didn't even know she'd been holding. Last time she'd come to Grimmauld Place, he'd been in the Living Room eating peach cobbler and reading the newspaper.

What she didn't expect to see this time, was Sirius Black belting out the lyrics to MC Hammer's _'Can't Touch This' _whilst dancing to it, not having realised Aurora had entered.

Trying hard to bite back the torrent of giggles that were threatening to burst, Aurora leant against the doorjamb, watching the scene and desperately wishing she had a camera for what was proving to be some _very _good blackmail material.

* * *

Sirius Black was in his element. It was kind of boring living all alone in Grimmauld Place, and although he was over at Potter Manor most times, he sometimes felt that he was intruding too much into James' life. He was being completely stupid, he knew, for he'd always been welcome at the Potters' (minus the years he was in Azkaban of course), but he couldn't help that nagging feeling that told him that he needed to get back out there, because he was an eligible bachelor after all and no one knew how to please a woman better than he did.

So because he was bored, he decided to turn on the stereo (a Muggle contraption that he had fallen in love with, courtesy of the lovely Lily Potter) and decided to dance unabashedly to '_Can't Touch This', _whilst belting out the lyrics of course. He started off from his favourite part

_I told you, homeboy_

_(You can't touch this)_

_Yeah, that's how we living and you know_

_(You can't touch this)_

_Look at my eyes, man_

_(You can't touch this)_

_Yo, let me bust the funky lyrics_

_(You can't touch this)_

_Fresh new kicks, advance_

_You gotta like that, now, you know you wanna dance_

_So move, outta your seat_

_And get a fly girl and catch this beat_

_While it's rollin', hold on_

_Pump a little bit and let 'em know it's goin' on_

_Like that, like that_

_Cold on a mission so fall them back_

_Let 'em know, that you're too much_

_And this is a beat, uh, you can't touch_

_Yo, I told you_

_(You can't touch this)_

_Why you standin' there, man?_

_(You can't touch this)_

_Yo, sound the bell, school is in, sucka_

_(You can't touch this)_

_Give me a song or rhythm_

_Makin' 'em sweat, that's what I'm givin' 'em_

_Now, they know_

_You talkin' about the Hammer, you talkin' about a show_

_That's hype and tight_

_Singers are sweatin' so pass them a wipe_

_Or a tape, to learn_

_What's it gonna take in the nineties to burn_

_The charts? Legit_

_Either work hard or you might as well quit_

_That's word because you know_

_You can't touch this, you can't touch this_

_Break it down_

_Stop, Hammer time_

_Go with the funk, it is said_

_If you can't groove to this_

_Then you probably are dead_

_So wave your hands in the air_

_Bust a few moves_

_Run your fingers through your hair_

_This is it, for a winner_

_Dance to this and you're gonna get thinner_

_Move, slide your rump_

_Just for a minute let's all do the bump, bump, bump_

_Yeah_

_(You can't touch this)_

_Look, man_

_(You can't touch this)_

_You better get hype, boy_

_Because you know you can't_

_(You can't touch this)_

_Ring the bell, school's back in_

_Break it down_

_Stop, Hammer time_

Sirius stopped his dancing when he heard a loud peal of giggles from the door. He turned to see Aurora Reed standing at the door with an incredibly amused expression on her face, and despite the embarrassing situation, Sirius couldn't help but be blown away by her beauty.

"How long have you been standing there?" Sirius asked, with just about all the dignity on the he could muster.

"Around about the time where you were talking about makin' 'em sweat." Aurora grinned.

Sirius nodded and grinned, "Well, did you enjoy my performance?"

"Oh yeah, it was very entertaining."

"What was?" James Potter Flooed in, followed by Lily.

Sirius and Aurora exchanged glances, Sirius pleading her with his eyes not to tell them, knowing he'd never hear the end of it. "Sirius was erm...dancing to _'Can't Touch This' _and singing along."

James tried very unsuccessfully to hold back his laughter, "Any chance that we can get a repeat performance?"

Sirius just pouted.

Lily laughed, "Aurora, I don't suppose you got a photograph."

"Sadly not, but that's what Pensieves are for."

Lily grinned, silently communicating to her husband that Aurora was perfect for Sirius, "I think we've embarrassed him enough. Let's go to the kitchen, I actually do need to talk about some urgent Order business."

Aurora nodded and couldn't help but give Sirius Black an outrageously flirtatious wink along with a cheeky grin before hurrying after Lily.

Sirius raised his eyebrows at James, "She's something, mate."

"Well, any girl who embarrasses you is absolutely perfect for you in my book."

Sirius thought back to Aurora. She certainly seemed perfect. Every time he'd met her, she'd been charming, sweet and at times devilishly funny. Today she was dressed in a cable-knitted cream sweater and dark-wash jeans with red ballet pumps. It bewildered Sirius that she could make something so simple look so good. "I think I like her."

James smiled demurely, "I think she might too."

There were a few minutes of comfortable silence before James asked, "So, MC Hammer, huh?"

Sirius, very maturely, answered back by flipping him 'the bird.'

**A/N: Just a few shout outs.**

**First and foremost to my Beta reader GinnyGuerra; thank you so much for getting this chapter checked so fast! You're an absolute star!**

**Secondly to all the reviewers; massive massive hugs and a dozen Chocolate Frog boxes to each of you. A special shout out to a certain reader you gave me Ron's brilliant line- "He can be happy?", so thank you **_obsessive360, _** I've used it. :)**

**I have a few recommendations. Recently, I've been reading a lot of James/Lily stories and some of them are absolutely brilliant. I think that other than Draco/Hermione and Harry/Ginny, they are my favourite pair. So on to those now...  
**

**1.** _Resolution _**by** _WeasleyWannabee: "I think you're an arrogant, selfish pig, and I think you'd be doing both of us a favor if you just left me alone!" Potter stared at me for a moment, an unreadable expression in his hazel eyes, before uttering a single word: "Okay." J/L, Lily's POV._

**2.** _A Wizard Walks Into A Bar_ **by** _GhostOfBambi: Contrary to popular belief, it's not always the man who does all the chasing. _

**This one is a oneshot, but it's one of my favourites.**

**And finally, the one that I absolutely fell in love with:**

**3. **_Commentarius _**by **_B.C. Daily: Lily has always considered herself ordinary. But as she enters her 7th year, things start changing and Lily starts going a bit mad. Suddenly, she's Head Girl, her mates are acting strangely, and there's a new James Potter she can't seem to get rid of. PRE-HBP_

**Unfortunately it's unfinished but don't let that put you off, read it and review as many times as possible so that it'll get updated, because it leaves you on an evilly brilliant cliffhanger**

**If anyone noticed, I changed the summary of the story because I wrote the other one when I was twelve and this quite frankly sounds much much better. xD**

**Next chapter will be longer and it's been fun to write so far haha :) Once again, a HUGE thank you for all the support. I do hope you liked this chapter. I loved writing the Sirius/Aurora interaction and to be honest, I couldn't think of a more embarrassing song. I was thinking of _'Ice Ice Baby' _** **by _Vanilla Ice, _but it just didn't seem right, so I picked this one. I hope I made the right choice.**

**Let me know what you thought. Reviews get teasers. And I will see you all, very soon.**

**Have a fantastic week!**

**Love,**

**Ishani**


	42. Chapter 42:Weekend at Grimmauld PlaceI

**A/N: Hello ladies and gentlemen. Chapter 41 got a lot of feedback and thank goodness, it was positive. I want to send you all lots and lots of Chocolate Frogs and Pumpkin Pasties and maybe a handful of Galleons because I love you all so much. This chapter was a lot of fun to write; not only is it longer, but it has a lot of stuff that I've been absolutely dying to write. So I'm really glad I was able to finish it and get it up here. :) Few more notices at the bottom as usual, so until then, happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I am not swimming in money and I do not live in England (anymore). Therefore, I'm not J.K. Rowling and therefore, I do not own Harry Potter.**

Chapter 42: Weekend at Grimmauld Place (Part I)

Harry sighed loudly as he entered the Gryffindor Common Room with Ron, Hermione, Neville and Allisa. He was surprised to see Ginny sitting reading her Charms book with Hedwig perched on her shoulder, looking intently at the book too.

Harry grinned as Hedwig flew to him, sticking her leg out so that Harry could un-tie the letter.

Everyone sat down as Harry started to read it, his smile widening with every word.

**Dearest Harry,**

**Just wanted to let you know that Hermione, the Weasleys, Neville and Alissa have been invited to spend the weekend at Grimmauld Place. Not only is there a very important Order of the Phoenix meeting, but we also need to discuss something with you. Alissa's mother visited last weekend with Dumbledore, and Augusta, of course, has been coming and going whenever she has time, and they will both be present for the meeting.**

**I'll see you soon, honey. **

**Love,**

**Mum.**

**P.S. I do hope you've been practising Occlumency and the bringing forth of your Guardians. It's very vital in order for you become more powerful.**

Grinning like a madman, Harry announced the news, receiving positive reactions from everyone, but the one question on all their minds was what was the important thing the Order of the Phoenix had to discuss with them.

* * *

The Weasley children, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Alissa and Harry arrived at Grimmauld Place and were greeted by Mr and Mrs Weasley, Sirius, Aurora, Lily, James, Remus, Augusta Longbottom and the Notts. Allisa's mother, Dina Nott-O'Connor, was incredibly pretty. She stood hand in hand with Mr Nott, who (Harry found out later) was much nicer than he seemed at first. Thin and willowy, Dina Nott had bronze coloured hair and dark brown eyes. Allisa grinned; seeing her real parents together was a very nice experience for her, and she rushed in to hug them.

As they had arrived late morning, Mrs Weasley decided it was time for a late brunch and so everyone settled down to possibly the biggest one Harry had seen in his life. It was obvious that Dobby and Winky had outdone themselves. Omelettes of every sort: mushroom cheddar cheese, goat cheese, American, Mexican, Spanish, sunny-side-up and vegetable; scrambled eggs, French toast, plain toast, bagels, waffles, hash browns, crepes, fresh fruit, assorted cupcakes, pancakes, sausages, bacon, black pudding, fried tomatoes, Russian salad, and an assortment of drinks like lemonade, iced tea, coffee and regular tea.

Everyone crowded the table when all of a sudden they heard the clatter of the umbrella stand and Nymphadora Tonks entered, her hair a bright blue and her cheeks tinged pink from arriving late. To everyone's amusement, Remus stood up when she entered and sat back down when she did, next to him (the seat had purposely been left vacant), and Harry wiggled his eyebrows at his father and this wiggle passed like a Mexican wave along the side facing Remus and Tonks.

"Well, now that that's done," Lily said amused, "Shall we dig in?"

Obliging heartily, everyone piled up their plates with the delicious food, laughter and chatter breaking out, the atmosphere of fun family time clouding the air.

When everyone had almost finished, James stood up and said, "Now, kids, the reason we've called you here is because we need to discuss something very important." His voice took on a more serious tone as he continued, "As you are all aware, there has been a mass breakout in Azkaban prison, and with Umbridge being in cohorts with the Minister of Magic, I'll vouch you're learning next to nothing in your DADA lessons. I know that you're all a part of Dumbledore's Army and I can say with certainty that it's an amazing corporation, with an amazing teacher." At this, James looked at Harry with pride, "It has come to our attention that you need more training in self-defence from Aurors, such as ourselves, because although learning defensive spells is a huge need, learning how to be able to fight is an even greater task. Harry being just one person cannot duel all of you, and most of you are not at a level where you can fight properly and win against a Death Eater, no matter how strong your spells are. These sort of things need practice and you also need to maintain a certain level of fitness. Therefore we have decided that you will be doing fitness courses. The usual stuff—most of you from the Quidditch teams won't have any problem with—running laps, weight lifting, crunches, possibly some martial arts just to get your stamina up and improve your physical defence, in case you are ever attacked. The girls will go with Aurora, Tonks and Lily, and the boys will come with Sirius, Kingsley, Remus and me. Every Saturday and during the holidays, everyday. Is that alright?"

Fred and George simultaneously cracked their knuckles, "Bring it."

"Brilliant." Sirius said grinning, "I'd like to see what you scrawny little gits are made of."

After brunch most of the Order members had arrived; Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Dedalus Diggle, Mundungus Fletcher, Hestia Jones, Hagrid (who gave all the kids a wide smile), Professor Reed, Moody and Emmeline Vance, and they all assembled in the dining room along with the ones who were already present. The children were then politely kicked out.

They entered the largest bedroom, which had dark moss-green walls and a teak-wood dresser and cupboard. Taking their seats on either the bed or one of the cushiony armchairs, they started to express their excitement about their new fitness training.

"I think this means we're really going to be given a chance to fight this time," Ron said. "Even if we're not going to be involved in the real meetings."

Harry shrugged, "We're the young ones now, I guess, and the war won't fully start properly for a while, hopefully. That gives us time to prepare for it."

Hermione sighed, "I really wish it didn't have to come down to a war."

Fred put his arm around her, "I bet you're not the only one 'Mione, but if it comes to that—"

"...and it probably will—" George continued.

"Then I'll fight with everything in me," Hermione finished with a determined nod.

"Well said," Neville smiled at her.

"What kind of stuff will they make us do, though?" Ginny asked.

"Like Dad said, running, weights, crunches, possibly yoga or something because Mum's very in to that sort of stuff. They'll probably make us practice blocking mental attacks too." Harry replied.

Hermione hummed in agreement, "I wonder if we could learn non-verbal spells right now."

Allisa nodded, "That's a very good idea."

"I'll ask Dad about that."

Fred shrugged, "What do you want to do now?"

Ginny smiled demurely, "How is it that you two aren't using your Extendable Ears on this meeting?"

George scowled, "Dumbledore put an Imperturbable Charm on the door."

"Smart man, that Dumbledore," Allisa commented.

And as annoyed as Fred and George were about that charm, they had to agree. A few hours went by before they were all called back down. They were then split up gender-wise.

Fred, George, Ron, Harry and Neville stood to one side with Remus, Sirius and Lupin whilst Lily, Aurora and Tonks led Hermione, Ginny and Allisa out of the room.

The boys started off with some basic stretches and warm up exercising.

"Alright, so we've planned out some intensive training. Some of it includes some Muggle equipment and the rest just about normal techniques like crunches and push-ups. So start off few laps around this room," Sirius ordered.

Harry gaped at his godfather. The living room had been cleared of all the furniture and was about the size of Hogwarts's Quidditch pitch, "How many is a few?"

"We'll do three this time and increase it every time we meet, ok?" James asked.

They took three laps and then Remus got them started on push-ups, "Push-ups are very good for working your chest and shoulder muscles. They also strengthen your arms. This will definitely benefit you in a fight, in case you ever need to resort to Muggle duelling, because no matter how strong Death Eaters are, they won't be used to this sort of fighting, so it'll give you an advantage, you understand?"

Following the push-ups, they used barbells and dumbbells for weightlifting, with Sirius showing them the correct techniques, did crunches to help flatten their stomachs, then, with great difficulty, they were taught to do chin-ups which took them about a half-hour just to learn how to do it properly and then they proceeded to do about twenty of them.

By this point all of the guys (especially Neville) were beyond exhausted and Sirius grinned, nodding, "This is why we decided to start now. You guys will definitely need to build up your stamina in a fight because using your powers for a very long amount of time in a situation where you are stressed or emotional takes a lot out of you."

Ron nodded, taking a large gulp from his water bottle, "What's next?"

Following their break, they did squats and then a half hour of swimming to help them cool down.

Fred and George let out simultaneous groans when they were done, "Do Order people do this too?"

Remus laughed, "Mate, most of the Order either are Aurors, or will be Aurors, they've done worse."

James nodded, "Auror training is pathetically difficult, and you should ask Kingsley how many people who come with good grades can't endure the type of stuff we have to do whilst training."

Neville massaged his legs, "This hurts."

Chuckling, Sirius gave all of them a pain-relieving potion, "That's just your muscles developing, boy, trust me; you'll thank us for this later."

Harry nodded in thanks as he gulped down the potion before wincing, "_Much _later."

* * *

Hermione, Allisa and Ginny were actually enjoying their session much better. Tonks started it off with lecturing them about the importance of stamina building and she proved to be an amazing teacher. They started off with some simple yoga stretches and then started doing push-ups, crunches and moved on to laps.

Then Aurora started teaching them Taekwondo. They were taught the basic stances like the horse stance and the front stance and they were also taught basic kicks. As most of the people they were fighting would be male Death Eaters, Lily proceeded to tell them where exactly and how they should hit a man, if ever (Merlin forbid) a situation did occur.

If Hermione was honest with herself, she enjoyed it a lot more than she thought she would. There was something so liberating, so calming about learning how to fight and defend herself and she knew the adults weren't kidding when they said that the training was needed.

She brought up the topic of wandless and non-verbal spells and Lily agreed.

"That's a very good idea, Hermione. Wandless magic is very difficult, though, unless you have some sort of ability to master them within you." At this, Lily gave Ginny a quick smile, "Therefore, I suggest that when you come across a spell that you find helpful, master it properly with your wand, then nonverbally, then without a wand and then, if you get really good at it, maybe we can try nonverbal wandless magic. I'm warning you now, though: it'll take a lot of perseverance."

Allisa grinned, "I'm sure we can manage."

So they started off with the basic, just like Harry had told them in DA, and seeing as everyone had mastered the Disarming Charm, they decided to try it nonverbally. Considering it was a sixth year skill, Hermione mastered it within an hour and Ginny had done it even quicker. Allisa looked a little downcast.

Aurora smiled, "You'll get it too, Ali, don't worry. Just keep practicing. One thing I want to know is how Ginny was able to manage it so quickly."

"She's an Inferno," Lily replied.

Aurora's and Tonks's eyes widened with understanding, "So that's what Dumbledore was talking about when he said—"

"Yes," Lily interrupted Tonks, cutting her off abruptly, causing her to adopt a rather sheepish expression.

"What's an Inferno?" Hermione asked.

Allisa mock-gasped, "Something Hermione doesn't know?"

Hermione quirked an eyebrow, "If I said you sound like Ron, would you be offended?"

"Yes," Allisa didn't hesitate at all before she answered.

"Then you sound like Ron," Ginny chirped in winking at Hermione, "To answer your question, 'Mione, I'm going to have to shorten the story. Basically there was this woman called Demetria, and despite the name, she was Welsh, the daughter or Amaethon and Caillech—"

"As in the Welsh _Gods_?" Aurora gasped, not having heard the full story herself, but a much abbreviated one from Dumbledore.

"Yes," Ginny continued. "She was the only daughter of his and was a full God, and therefore she was given powers like empathy and clairvoyance. Well, actually she got a heck of a lot more than that and of course, her father being the God of Magic, she was quite good with the craft and hence she was a witch, which basically made her a very different breed, named as Infernos as they're kind of famed for their quick tempers—"

Hermione interrupted again, looking at Ginny, "_Completely _understandable."

Ginny scowled at her, "Oh, hush you. So these powers are gifted to witches who will supposedly make a difference to the world. Lily's one too."

"Well she did give birth to The-Boy-Who-Lived," Tonks said.

"Not to mention putting up with James; I reckon I did all the other women in this world a favour," Lily chuckled, but it wasn't at all difficult to spot the deep love and admiration that was embedded in her voice and Hermione sighed, wishing not for the first time that she would have someone about whom she could speak in the same way.

She snapped her head out of those thoughts when Aurora called them back, saying that they had had enough of a break.

* * *

After training, everyone had gone and taken a shower. Harry sighed softly as he let the warm water droplets beat rhythmically on his back and shoulders, soothing his over-worked muscles. The work-out had really made him think. He wasn't quite sure why everyone in the Order had all of a sudden decided that they needed to build their stamina and work on their fitness. Harry realised that, although he had come across multiple near death situations, he had never really faced a war, and it was obvious that all the adults were absolutely positive that they were going to.

He let his mind wander a bit.

From what his parents had told him, it was obvious that he had more powers than an average wizard. Harry sighed slightly, wondering why this had been thrust upon him. Why had Voldemort tried to kill him and his family? And why had Harry been his downfall?

Harry shrugged. _No point pondering the unknown, I'm never going to figure that one out anyway. _He wondered what was going to happen. No one's life was guaranteed, he realised, especially as Voldemort gained power and he was, without the Ministry knowing, or well rather whilst the Ministry refused to believe it was true.

Coming back to the fact that Harry was supposedly more powerful than other wizards, he wondered exactly how much of a responsibility he had looming over him, exactly what role he played in this war. He was still a kid, he'd just been forced to go through things that other kids hadn't.

_But, _Harry thought to himself as he stepped out of the shower, _there are probably other kids who're going through something similar, other kids who've had their lives, their families torn apart. _He thought of Neville, of Ted and of Allisa. He shook his head, wondering again what he was supposed to do.

Then Harry's mind floated back to what Dumbledore had told him in his first year when he sat in the Hospital Wing after having defeated Quirrell and Voldemort; _"Love is the purest emotion in the world. When Lily almost died to save you from the Killing Curse, she meant to die instead of you, and that's bound to leave some mark. The love lives in your very skin. The love is so pure that Quirrell couldn't bear to touch it, as he had shared his soul with evil..."_

And then Harry grinned, to him everyone who was in this house right now was a part of his ever-growing family; whether it was real or pseudo. And he knew that he'd die for them in a heartbeat, time and time again if he could, because he loved them. And in the end, whatever happened, that's what really mattered.

_**Meanwhile in Lily and Jamess' Room...**_

"James, are you sure about this?" Lily asked hesitantly.

"Lily, he needs to know. Dumbledore, as much as I admire him, he can't...we can't keep hiding a truth like this from Harry. He's not a kid anymore."

"But, James, he's not an adult either," Lily sighed.

James pulled his wife in for a hug, "I know, Love, I know. But he'll go ballistic if he finds out too late. Knowing this prophecy will make him understand so much; why we're pushing him the way we are to learn everything, why he gets into trouble all the time."

"I'm sure he'll have no trouble passing off the trouble-attracting as a hereditary trait," Lily mumbled into his chest, feeling it rumble as he let out a soft chuckle. "But I know you're right. He needs to know. He deserves to know. Albus is making too many mistakes trying to protect Harry, and if we're not careful, Harry will end up being Albus's puppet."

James nodded in agreement, "No doubt he's brilliant, but we let him make a mistake when we left him with Petunia and we can't risk making the same one again. Shall we go see him?"

Lily nodded. And trusting that Harry would have enough people in the house to keep him busy, they Flooed to Dumbledore's office.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore had just opened one of Mark Twain's novels when Lily and James Potter Flooed into his office. He grimaced, having a rather good idea about what this was going to be about. He sighed; he was beginning to feel very old and foolish.

"Lily, James! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Dumbledore smiled, "Please, take a seat."

Lily gave him a soft smile in return. Dumbledore had been a role model and somewhat of a father for her after her parents had died, "I only wish it was under better circumstances."

Dumbledore chuckled, "Yes, I did wonder when you'd bring this little problem up. I know it's been troubling you for a while."

James nodded, "Albus, we really think it's in Harry's best interest to know about the Prophecy. He needs to know what he's fighting against, how much the entire Wizarding World is depending on him and that in the end, he might not make it out... Albus, _he needs to know._"

Lily blinked back the tears that were forming very easily and took her husband's hand in hers, glad he didn't finish that sentence, "He'll go incredibly mad when he does find out and he won't talk to us for weeks, and that's the time that we need to train him, he needs to be stronger, he needs to know what he's up against."

Albus nodded, sighing, "But he's still a child."

"Yet he's had to go through more than his fair share of bullshit," James argued, ignoring Lily's soft admonishment for his language, "He first went through it when he was one, then during his first, second, third and his fourth years; last year alone he saw and fought off Voldemort, seeing one of his friends die in front of him. This year he's had to face half of the Wizarding world because they think he's a fool. He will be able to handle it. We don't want him to be blindly taking orders without knowing why he's being given them. We want to give him answers for the questions that are running through his head. We don't want to fail him as parents."

Lily placed a soft hand on Dumbledore's, "Albus, we haven't failed in protecting him yet. He's managed to escape, thwarting Voldemort more times than anyone alive. He doesn't need that protection anymore; he needs answers and he needs to know the prophecy. Too much protection isn't good either, Professor. I will not let my child go and face Voldemort without prior knowledge of why he is being sent; without understanding that only he can kill the world's most evil wizard."

Albus Dumbledore sighed again, "It seems nothing I can say will change your mind. And you are right; Harry is no longer a child, he is wise beyond his years, and he always has been. I just don't want this type of thing thrust upon him."

James shook his head, "Albus, it's looming like a black cloud over his head. I just want him to find out because, either way, he's going to find himself facing Voldemort in the end."

Lily's vision once again clouded with tears, sad that her baby had no way out of this, "He has to know, Albus. I wish it hadn't been him; that it had been someone else; but then I really wouldn't wish this upon anyone. And although a part of me wants to keep Harry in the dark for as long as possible, you have to admit, it's only a matter of time before he finds out himself."

Dumbledore bowed his head. He had always been fond of the Potter family. Charles's parents had been to Hogwarts with him; he had taught Charles and Dorea, and he had seen Lily, James and Harry grow from a distance, all of them being some of Hogwarts most prized students, even with their talent for rule breaking. He wished with everything in him that there was something he could do to change the person Voldemort was targeting. He had failed them before when Charles died—he had left to fulfil an Order mission, failed them again when Voldemort was able to go to Godric's Hollow; failed them for a third time when he made Harry stay with the Dursleys, a fourth when he ignored the fact that Sirius Black hadn't been through a trial and did nothing to stop him going to Azkaban and didn't tell James and Lily he was innocent...the list was almost endless, and he was now determined not to make any more mistakes.

Dumbledore gave himself a mental kick and made up his mind. He looked at them through his half-moon spectacles, their eyes pleading; their faces worried and he nodded, "When would you like to tell him?"

* * *

_**Meanwhile in the Library...**_

Aurora sat in the library reading a book, one of her guilty pleasures if she was honest, a trashy romance that she had loved since her final year at Hogwarts. She was so hooked in the novel that she didn't hear anyone come in.

"Hello."

Aurora jumped, putting her hands on her heart and glaring at Sirius Black, who stood leaning against the door, his hands in his tan trouser pockets, his expression half-amused, half-longing, the absolute picture of nonchalance. He was wearing a white button down, with the few top buttons open and Aurora had to bite her lip to keep from sighing, "H-hi,"

Sirius grinned at her. She was wearing black jeans and a purple top, her hair in a casual messy bun. "Whatcha doing?"

Aurora bit back a smile and settled for rolling her eyes, "Standing on my head."

Sirius nodded, "And how's that going for you?"

"Pretty well, thanks."

Sirius stepped forward, "Well I can think of something better to occupy your time. Something that'll keep our mouths busy."

Aurora turned red, "W-what? You prat, exactly what are you suggesting?"

Smirking, "I was just saying that tea is ready, so we have to go and eat."

"Oh." Aurora turned even redder.

"But, Aurora, whatever it is you had in mind, I don't have any problems in doing that instead. Just let me know when." And with that, Sirius winked at her and walked out whistling merrily.

Aurora shook her head. She should have seen that coming. She smiled slightly, knowing that she kind of wanted to take Sirius up on that offer. She giggled and shook her head again. Putting her book down on one of the tables, she followed after him to the garden, where everyone was settling down.

Molly smiled as she saw Aurora, "Sit down, sweetheart, goodness knows you could all use some food after that training."

Ron hummed as he helped himself to the scones and clotted cream that were laid out on the table, "It was fun, but it was really tiring too."

Sirius grinned, "Yeah, but certain people still had the energy to suggest certain activities."

Aurora glared at him.

Arthur Weasley grinned, "Maybe you should keep those err...activities a little bit private, Sirius, there are children here."

Fred laughed, "Yeah, but it's not like we don't know what's going on."

Molly glared at him, "Hmm, yes; but you children should pretend you don't understand anything in these adult conversations."

"What adult conversations? They act like kids half the time," George protested cheekily.

"Right you are, George," James agreed; "They certainly do."

"Err, Dad, I think that included you," Harry commented with a smirk.

"Oh put a can in it, you troublemaker," James said, mock-sternly.

Hermione gave James an evil grin, "I'm sure he's only following his father's example."

Sirius laughed, "I knew this one was evil."

Ginny shook her head, "You have no idea."

This banter continued back and forth, and when Aurora saw Harry and Ginny, and Lily and James together, she sighed to herself wondering when she would find her match. Her eyes met Sirius's and she saw in his eyes the same sort of wistful thoughts and wondered for a second if she should give him a chance. He was smart and sweet, brave, funny, enchantingly handsome and so enticingly loyal to his friends, whom he considered to be family. Her brother had told her, when she mentioned it to him, that although he had a tendency to be a womanizer, he was one of the nicest people he had ever met.

"Where are Remus and Tonks?" Lily asked.

Aurora chuckled, "Well, after training, they bumped into each other and this crush that's been going on for quite a while now; well Tonks is trying to get him to admit it. So we basically locked them both together in her room about an hour ago and they haven't been out since. She told us they'd come out when she made him see sense."

James shook his head, "That could take a while; Remus has always been a stubborn old berk."

Lily nodded, "But I think Tonks can make him come around. She's just as stubborn as he is, and she's good for him. They honestly make a wonderful couple. Remus need only give it a chance."

Sirius shrugged, "But they've been in there for over an hour. They can't possibly be _just _talking."

Aurora shook her head, "Oh get your mind out the bloody gutter, Sirius."

He raised his eyebrow at her, leant forward and whispered, "I'll keep it on you then."

Aurora blushed and shook her head. He really was incorrigible.

* * *

Tonks pulled at her hair in frustration. She and Remus had been sitting in her room for over an hour and they'd spent the better part of it arguing. It was always the same old completely stupid excuses with him (_"I'm dangerous" _or _"I'm too old for you"_), and no matter how many times she ran the conversation through her mind to try to understand his reasons, she couldn't bring herself to even begin to value any one of them. And that wasn't because his opinion didn't matter to her. In fact, it mattered the most, and that's why every time Remus rejected her she felt like he had stabbed a rusty knife in her heart. And that's why she had, with Sirius and Harry's help, hauled Remus in here, to try for the last time to convince him.

"Remus," Tonks began, her voice incredibly soft and so small that she could barely hear herself, "I've told you time and time and time again that I don't _care _if you're a werewolf." She stepped forward, towards him; he was sitting at the other end of the room, "You're one of the nicest people I've ever met. You understand me like no one else does. You care about the people who are close to you; but you know what your problem is? You're so stuck in the thought that you're dangerous, what, once a month, when the bloody full moon comes out, that you don't notice that the other twenty-nine bloody days you're a normal human being. I have monthly issues too, Remus. Merlin knows, I'm a bloody bitch at that time, but I can't help that, no more than you can help the fact that an arsehole called Fenrir Greyback bit you when you were little, leaving you with no other choice. Why is it so goddamn difficult for you to understand that when James and Sirius could become Animagi illegally at the age of fifteen and risk their lives, I want to as well? And now you have the Wolfsbane potion and everything and I know you won't hurt me." Tonks moved even closer, striding up to Remus, pulling him up and cupping his face in her hands, "Remus John Lupin, I _love _you and I know you love me and I'm sick of your stupid excuses and I—"

Remus cut her off by capturing her lips in his. He pulled her towards him, gripping her waist tightly, as their lips attacked each other's. It was a harsh kiss, full of the frustration they both felt at the same time; it was full of love and passion. Remus's body flooded with warmth and he felt as if he had been walking in a blizzard up until this moment. He poured everything he could into that kiss, his confusion, his guilt, his pain, and his apologies for rejecting her so many times. His hands moved up to tangle in her hair (which happened to be short and pink that day) and he knew he could refuse her no more.

Tonks smiled into the kiss as she felt him struggling against his conscience, and her smile widened when he gave up all attempts to internally resist and eventually poured himself into the kiss. Her fingertips and toes sparked with a new-found energy and suddenly nothing else mattered. Her thoughts, her fears, her inhibitions ebbed away into nothingness and she responded to his fervent, heated kisses with her own.

When they broke apart, Remus touched his forehead to hers, "Nymphadora, I-I'm going to tell you one last time, I _don't _think I'm good for you and—"

Tonks pressed a finger to his lips, "No, you sound like you're trying to convince yourself, not me. I don't care what you think about yourself. You're an amazing man and I want you, more than anything in the world and I will not let your stupidity take the happiness that we could have away. I love you."

Remus kissed her forehead, "I love you too."

* * *

By the time Remus and Tonks came downstairs, everyone else had moved into the living room and Harry and Hermione were teaching the other 'children' how to use the PlayStation. When Remus came in with Tonks tucked under his arm, James let out a wolf-whistle and the whole room applauded.

"It's about time!" Lily exclaimed as she pulled them both in for a hug. After the congratulations and hugs were passed around, Sirius sighed as he slapped twenty Galleons into James's hand.

"You were betting on us?" Remus asked outraged.

James shrugged, "You and Sirius started the tradition when Lily and I got together, so we figured, why stop now?"

Tonks giggled, "Sirius, when did you think this barmy old man would stop being stubborn?"

Sirius scowled, "Valentine's Day."

Molly laughed, "I think Tonks would have killed him if he made her wait that long. And, Sirius, this means you're the last of the Marauders to find your match."

"Yeah, Sirius!" Fred chirped in.

"Get a move on," George added.

Sirius smiled, his eyes lingering on Aurora, before flitting back to Molly, "Oh I think I have a good idea who my match is. Only time will tell."

**A/N: -squeals excitedly- Another couple! Oh, I'm so happy I'm getting everyone paired off! I think they waited too long to get together in the books and then they barely got time to spend with each other. **

**Another thing I absolutely ADORE writing is about Sirius/Aurora and I've got a lot of positive feedback about them from all of you enchantingly lovely reviewers. So for all of you who love that pair, there's a lot more of their interaction coming up!**

**So as usual, I'm going to recommend a few works of fanfiction that are in my opinion absolutely scintillating reads, so READ THEM!**

**1. **_Just a Harmless Joke _**by** _CrazyGirl47: Fred accidentally starts rumors that he's with Hermione, and encourages them for a laugh. When she find out, she's furious. Now the two of them are fighting to outembarrass and annoy one another... but they're also fighting their feelings for each other._

**2.** _Snipe _**by** _Wizards-Pupil: The greatest adventure of Hermione's life started when she got lost in the woods. If she'd known how much trouble she was about to get herself into, she might have stayed home with her books. But then, Hermione had never been one to say no to a challenge_

**So those two are Fred/Hermione one and although I'm more of a Dramione shipper; Framione(?) actually make quite a cute couple too.**_  
_

**3. **_Boyfriend _**by** _Molly Raesly: Potter was going to say that he wasn't my boyfriend. I couldn't let him do that. For the love of Merlin, I could not let him do that. I had to stop him. He couldn't tell her the truth. So I did the only conceivable thing I could think of. I kissed him._

**Next, a few shout outs:**

**First to Amelie de Lorraine for pointing out that Sirius dancing to a Muggle rap song might be slightly ridiculous therefore I'm going to introduce the idea that on the Wizarding radio they have a channel that is dedicated to Muggle music (so that Muggleborns don't miss it too much). So thank you so much for that.**

**Secondly to anon reviewer: _Lopingbee _or 'Bee' as she goes by, THANK YOU for the lovely review! I wish you hadn't posted one anonymously so I could have replied.**

**I may have some trouble updating for the next week or two because the new hostel I'm staying in doesn't have a wi-fi connection so I'm going to have to get a dongle and all that jazz so just be a teensy tiny bit patient for that. College admission should be happening soon and although I'll be busy, I'll definitely keep some time for writing because this story is my baby and I would hate to neglect it.**

**So you know the drill; review for a teaser. And otherwise, thank you all so much for all the wonderful messages and reviews and to all those readers out there who favourite or alert this story (or me :D ), you guys are the BEST! Seriously. :)**

**And after that horribly long author's note, I bid you adieu.  
**

**Have a wonderfully magical week!**

**Love,**

**Ishani**


	43. Chapter 43:Weekend at Grimmauld PlaceII

**A/N: I don't think I've ever updated quicker than this; it hasn't even been a week. Maybe I should try doing this more often eh? :P This chapter is slightly shorter but it's quite an important one. Notices and recommendations at the bottom as always. A huge thank you for everyone's support as well! So after this surprisingly short author's note...Happy reading! :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the stuff I've made up. :D**

Chapter 43: Weekend at Grimmauld Place (Part II)

Training continued the next day, and they followed the same routine as they had before. After they'd all taken showers and settled down in the living room, Lily took Ginny to the side.

"Ginny, I think we need to start some of our own lessons, alright? Harry only has so many powers from what he has inherited, and you, my dear, have a lot to learn. So, if you're not too tired, can we start now?" Lily asked her.

Ginny nodded, "I'd love to."

Lily smiled and led her into the library. If Ginny was honest with herself, she had never appreciated the library that much and she wondered why Lily would lead her here. Smiling at her softly, Lily walked up to the portrait that was in between the French windows. Ginny marvelled at why she hadn't noticed it before.

It was a lady with gorgeous auburn hair. She wore a dress that could only be described as medieval. Nevertheless, it was absolutely gorgeous. It was black and the soft silver embroidery along with the pale blue lace brought out her icy blue eyes. Her pale lips were accented slightly by the slight hint of rouge that lingered on her cheeks. She smiled when she saw Lily and Ginny holding their breath. Her beauty was elegant; almost regal, and it made Ginny feel very small.

"Good morning, Celeste. This is Ginny. Can I request you to step aside so we may enter?" Lily asked.

Celeste beamed at her, "Ginny, it's a pleasure to meet you. This library was built in my honour as I loved to read; Nicholas had it built, but for all of the Potter legacies, we had another separate room built, which I now guard. It has a lot of information, which I encourage you to use wisely. Is Ginny your real name?"

Ginny smiled at her, "Likewise, Mrs Potter. The library is very beautiful. Ginny is my nickname. My real name is Ginevra."

"Ah yes, the fair Ginevra. That's what your name means, you know, it's of Italian origin. It suits you well," Celeste replied.

Ginny blushed, "Thank you."

Lily smiled, "Celeste, she's Harry's girlfriend."

Celeste wrinkled her nose, "That boy rarely speaks to me now. I guess he is busy with his education; however, I am delighted he has found someone so enchanting as his partner. I don't mean to pry, but may I ask what business does she have in the library? It hasn't been used since you went in hiding, Lily, it must be important, perhaps I could help."

"She's an Inferno. And she's Harry's girlfriend," Lily replied, indicating something Ginny didn't quite understand.

Celeste did apparently because her eyes widened, "You mean to say that she's-?"

"_Yes,_" Lily answered.

Celeste nodded, "Well, I'll delay you no further. And, Ginevra, I look forward to meeting you again." With a soft smile, Celeste moved to the side, waving her wand so the door she was sitting in front of enlarged. She opened it and nodded as she allowed both the younger witches entry.

Lily thanked her and grabbed Ginny's hand, pulling her inside the portrait and through the door and out into another room. Ginny's eyes were now almost as big as Dobby's and Lily laughed at her reaction, "Yes, this does come as a bit of a shock."

Celeste smiled, "I will be on the other side. Knock if you need me, dears." She exited out the door and then Ginny turned to look at the room they were in. It was a pentagonal room and it was lit dimly by two candles which Lily had just conjured. Bookshelves lined three of the walls and the other two had portraits. There was a circular table with soft green chairs surrounding it.

"Wow!" Ginny said softly.

Lily smiled, nodding as she waved her wand at the chandelier. "It's a beautiful room. The Potter family has always had wonderful taste."

Ginny smiled at her boyfriend's mum, "So, where do we start?"

"That's a good question. I want to tell you about all the powers that you should have. I know you have the empathy link because I can feel it. However, you've never really been in touch with your emotions enough to be able to separate yours from other people's. Another really important ability is clairvoyance. The first time you get a vision, you will most likely collapse, especially because there will be a surge of both power and information that will be really hard for you to manage." She paused as they sat down at the table. "These visions won't be easy to piece out, Ginny, they'll be fragmented, bits and pieces of information, like sometimes you'll get pictures of people, times, dates, newspaper articles, words, a destination, and a specific message. You need to do what that vision says because Infernos have a uniquely powerful sense of intuition, and these visions, however fragmented and broken up, they are more reliable than any prophecy."

Ginny raised her eyebrows, "Okay."

"Next, well, I suppose you could say it's a more extreme form of wandless magic, but it is so much more exciting; conjuring flames from the palm of your hand, being able to move objects, causing trees to sprout up out of the ground, or tell a Venomous Tentacula to suddenly grow and devour someone whole."

"You can _do _that?" Ginny asked, awed.

"Yes, you'll have one main element. Mine's Earth. I've always been exceptionally gifted with flowers and plants. Makes me wonder why Herbology wasn't one of my favourite subjects. But you might have more than one."

"Why would I have more?"

"You're more powerful than I am. You have more Guardians for one, and that is definitely a clue. Now along with this, you have the ability to heal, and this can go really far, especially in conditions of war, but these healing powers have one drawback. They take a lot of energy out of you, and so much gets taken out that your magical core might drain. Also, when you heal someone, you go through what they've gone through, so you feel how they've been injured and for the time it takes you to heal them, you get their bruises. That's why I couldn't heal Neville's parents. It was too hard a task for me alone, and we have a very, very, _very _slim chance of this happening, but if you are powerful enough, the two of us might be able to heal them."

"Oh, that'll be wonderful. Neville would be so happy," Ginny smiled.

"He would, and he does deserve to have them with him. Alice and Frank were wonderful people," Lily sighed. "You also have the ability of telepathy, which is pretty easy, and you will be able to communicate with the witches and wizards that you are closest to, and if they are powerful enough, they will be able to reply. The final ability is the ability to mentally manipulate people. Basically you can erase and derive memories from people; it's a little bit like Legilimency, except it is much harder to fight against. You also have an extremely strong mental shield.

"How do I master each of them?" Ginny asked.

"Lots of practice, sweetheart; both on your own and with me. I want you first to master Empathy, so let me explain that to you first. Then I'll give you a few books on it and you can read them, so you'll be able to understand how it works better, alright?"

Ginny nodded.

"Over the next year or so, as you develop and as your body develops, you'll find that you feel thing more intensely. Being an Inferno, your senses are heightened and so is your receptivity of these senses. This means, for example, if you are able to feel the anger and rage of a person and you are able to separate it from your own emotions, then you will be able to control their emotions; this way you can either manipulate them, or you can help them, which gives you a very formidable weapon whenever there is a war." Lily smiled mischievously.

Grinning, Ginny replied, "Let's start then."

Lily took out three books from the bookshelf and Ginny marvelled at the titles, wondering what sort of incredible skills she had and how well she'd be able to use them. She opened the first book titled '_Facing the Sea of Emotions: An Empath's Guide.'_

Truth be told, Ginny had never been a very enthusiastic reader. She liked books, but not so much that she spent a lot of time absorbed in them, but for some reason she felt as though the book was calling to her and she was taken from the first page. After about an hour, Lily stopped her.

"What did you learn?"

"I learnt that empathy is a very complex art. The way to master it is to be aware of yourself and your surroundings in a way that allows you to be able to read people's emotions without forcing yourself to do so, or without forcing them to break down any walls; it should just be natural. When you can go into a room and _feel _ and at the same time, be able to separate individual emotions and point out the people they belong to and control more than one at the time, whilst remaining stable yourself, the art is truly mastered."

Lily grinned, "And the part about healing magic?"

"Empaths have heightened senses; therefore they are able to find the damaged part of the body without much hassle. If a person has just the powers of empathy, their healing powers are limited, but if they are Inferno, their healing magic is much stronger and more potent. The book didn't give too much information."

Lily nodded and pointed to another one (_Healing with Fire-The Inferno Edition), _"Chapter twenty-three outlines the various ways. Once you've finished reading, I'd like you to write a ten-foot essay about what you've learnt."

"_What?" _Ginny asked, aghast.

Lily laughed, "I was kidding. Read through it and then we'll try some of those skills practically. It shouldn't take you very long to master."

Ginny shuddered slightly, "You sounded like Snape for a moment there, and, why won't it take me very long?"

Lily smiled slightly mysteriously, "You're a very powerful witch, Ginevra; I think soon you'll know just how much."

* * *

Harry groaned as he practiced banishing and bringing forth his Guardians. Remus and James had told him the plan for the day. First they'd do physical fitness and then Neville and Allisa would go home; then he would practice communicating with his Guardians, whilst Ginny learnt how to master some of her skills with Lily and after that, they'd regroup and practice their Animagi transformations.

Harry rubbed his forehead. He decided that it would be better to call them in the order Remus had told him to; Earth, Fire, Air and then Water. After he was satisfied with what he had accomplished, Harry then decided to strengthen his mind further; he imagined his mind to be a room that had everything sorted neatly into boxes. He then shut the door and locked it, first with a lock and then with a locking charm. He imagined the room to be in a high tower. He surrounded this tower with circular walls of every material he could think of; steel, tin, plastic, glass, brick, concrete, platinum, wood and stone. He then added a wall of fire, a wall of poison ivy and nettles and then he decided to add a moat.

He grinned when he finished, his mind felt clearer and stronger. _I'd like to see Voldemort penetrate my mind now. _Harry thought to himself.

* * *

Ginny and Lily exited the hidden library an hour and a half later, and by then Ginny had managed to separate her emotions from Lily's and control them.

After an hour or so of Animagi training (where Ginny managed to change her hands and her feet and Hermione changed one hand), utterly exhausted with all their work, everyone settled down in the Living Room.

"What time do we go back to Hogwarts?" Harry asked as he stroked Ginny's hair.

"At six o'clock. Dumbledore's sent a Portkey," Lily replied.

Fred pouted, "I don't really want to go back."

Hermione, who was next to him, sighed softly and rested her head on his shoulder, completely oblivious to Ron's glare, "Me either. Going back means we have to sit in Umbitch's lessons. And Merlin, that woman annoys the brains out of me."

"Well that's a good thing 'Mione, 'cause I think you've got too many," George quipped.

Sirius chuckled, "Well, think about it this way, Gred, Forge, if you go back you could wreak more havoc, and since it's your last year, you could do something _really _memorable."

Aurora smiled, "And the teachers hate Umbridge just as much as you do, so if you get her, you might even win some points for Gryffindor."

They talked about ways to annoy Umbridge out of her mind until Dotty came in and announced lunch. Then, Mr and Mrs Weasley left to go home to The Burrow, after saying good bye to everyone.

Fred and George took Arya and Iris into their nursery and decided to play with them. Harry wasn't sure that that was a very good idea. Arya and Iris caused enough trouble on their own without needing any prodding from the Weasley twins, but Harry couldn't help but smile as he wondered what sort of trouble they'd get up to.

* * *

Sirius frowned as he unabashedly stared at Aurora, who was talking animatedly to Remus and Tonks. He didn't understand why he had this sort of reaction when he saw her; sweaty palms, heavy breaths, accelerated heart-rate and a weird swooping sensation in his stomach making him feel like he'd missed a step. Sirius scoffed at his thoughts, if they got any mushier, he swore he could be a girl.

Once again, her clothes were very casual; a red, long sleeved top with a scoop neck, that was quite low, but not low enough (in Sirius' opinion), cropped black jeans and black wedges. She wore a vintage necklace and a flower-ring on her right middle finger. Her right hand had several bracelets on it and Sirius smiled, realising that she had a slight obsession with jewellery. He felt this urge, almost a compulsion to get to know her more and he wondered if this was how James had felt about Lily in Hogwarts. He grinned as he remembered how much he'd teased James about it and he knew that James would never let it go.

Lily had always said that one day Sirius would meet a girl who knocked him off his feet, and with whom, no matter how 'practiced' he was, he'd be nervous whilst talking to her. She'd been right. He'd never met someone like Aurora, other than Lily, obviously, but Lily had always been more of a sister. Aurora was smart, funny, talented, beautiful and modest.

He liked her without her trying too hard. Sirius mentally shook his head as he corrected himself; he liked her without her trying at all.

He sighed as he walked up and sat next to her, trying to think of how to start a conversation. Who would have thought that there was actually someone who could make Sirius Black so nervous? He scowled. He knew what Lily was going to say when he went and asked her for help...

* * *

"I hate to say this, Sirius; well actually I don't, but I told you so!" Lily exclaimed gleefully.

"That's mature," Sirius replied sourly.

Tonks laughed, "Oh, dear cousin of mine, I can't tell you how long I've waited for this day."

Sirius pouted, "I only admitted to fancying her, it's not like I'm head over heels in love."

"Yet," James and Remus said, smirking, causing everyone to roar with laughter.

Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione entered the room, "What's all this racket?"

"Nothing!" Sirius said quickly, whilst Remus filled them in.

The four children looked at each other, then, at the look on Sirius's face, burst out laughing.

"I sense embarrassment, Sirius," Ginny grinned cheekily.

"I swear to Merlin, you lot are annoying. Why did you have to tell them?" Sirius practically whined.

Ron rolled his eyes, "It's not like we're going to tell anyone."

Hermione nodded, "Besides, everyone knows."

"How?" Sirius asked wide-eyed.

"You know, for the guy who helped give my son advice with all this, you can really be thick, Padfoot," James sighed.

"Hey!" Sirius protested.

Lily shook her head, "Sirius, sweetheart, it's written all over your face that you like her. She doesn't have a clue that you do, though."

"It's _not _written all over my face," Sirius objected.

"Right," Remus said, rolling his eyes for good measure.

Sirius pouted again, "What do I do? I can't stop thinking about her."

Tonks shook her head, "Well, Sirius, she likes you too, I don't think she's realised it yet though... So just ask her out and see what happens."

James looked at the horror-struck expression on his best friend's face and grinned, "You're not supposed to look like that yet, mate, _she's _supposed to have that reaction after you ask her."

"Oh sod off, Prongs," Sirius snorted. Then with desperation, "What in the name of Merlin, Godric and Agrippa am I supposed to do?"

"Oh for goodness sake, do we need to spell it out for you?" Remus asked.

"_Yes." _

Then everyone replied, as if it was incredibly obvious, "Woo her."

Harry shook his head as his godfather's eyes lit up with understanding. One of his honorary uncles had found his match and he hoped with all his heart that Sirius would too.

**A/N: I've been looking forward to this chapter so, so much! I loved writing about Ginny learning about her powers and if you did as well, there will be more of it coming up shortly!**

**I'd like to thank** _DizzyDiana _**for all of her suggestions! They gave me quite a few ideas. :) She bought up the issue of Fred and George's love lives and although I think Katie Bell goes well with George,** _DizzyDiana _**thinks she goes better with Oliver Wood. So what do you think ladies and gents? George or Oliver? Let me know via review or pm. I'll take your views into consideration, but seeing as I sort of already have a plan, I'm not sure how I'll incorporate them if I need to change too much, but I'd still like to know. **

**Now for recommendations:**

**1.** _Secrets in the Room of Requirement _**by **_HeyLookTheSnitch: After a tedious fight, Lily and James find themselves twenty years into the future. A new side of James is revealed, James swears he's been cloned, and Harry's own life is put into jeopardy._

**It's a brilliant story and really deserves WAY more reviews than it already has!**

**2.** _Incriminating Evidence _**by** _drowning goldfish: __COMPLETE. James Potter has a journal. It has nothing to do with Lily Evans. He has much more important things to write about. And if you believe that, I have twenty completely indestructable cauldrons to sell you._

**This one is short and sweet, but definitely worth the read!**_  
_

**3.** _Scenes from a Hogsmeade Pub _**by** _B.C. Daily:The Three Broomsticks is the setting for five significant scenes in Lily and James's relationship._

**It's so very adorable!**

**Lastly, I'd like to thank everyone who's read/reviewed/alerted/faved my story! Every single one of those means the world to me!**

**As always; reviews get sneak peeks. Next chapter's a lot longer and there's quite a bit of action. :D**

**Thank you so much for reading!**

**Have a super-fantastic weekend.**

**Love always,**

**Ishani**


	44. Chapter 44:Another Week and the Prophecy

**A/N: As I said, I'm trying to update quicker and quicker, so here you go, another chapter! :D This one was quite a lot of fun to write and there's a little bit of seriousness (no pun intended) that's going on here too. Many many hugs for all those people who read the last chapter and hugs and kisses from all of the characters to all those who reviewed! :P A few notices for you at the bottom as always so see you there! Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: Woe is me, for I own nothing (but the stuff I've made up)...**

Chapter 44: Another Week and the Prophecy

When Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys returned to Hogwarts in good spirits, they found Neville and Allisa in the Common Room looking a mixture of sad and angry. They told Harry that Hagrid was on probation and Harry's heart sunk. He knew that Umbridge was trying to get rid of all the teachers closest to Dumbledore, and he thanked Merlin that McGonagall was a teacher without any faults.

Shaking his head, he took out his Potions essay from his bag, putting on the last minute finishing touches.

"What have you got planned for the next DA meeting, Harry?" Ron asked quietly.

Harry shrugged, "Well, we've done a lot of defensive curses; I was thinking we'd move onto Patronuses and stuff like that."

"Really?" Hermione squealed excitedly.

Ron rolled his eyes at her and Harry smiled, "Yeah, I think most of you are ready for it."

Ginny hummed, "How do we do all our physical fitness training whilst we're here."

Hermione smiled at her, "How about the Room of Requirement? We can use the Black Lake for laps or the Quidditch Pitch even. I'm sure Dumbledore won't mind."

"What about Umbitch?" Neville asked her.

Ginny grinned, "Well, it's not like she can tell us off for trying to build-up stamina or for being fit. That would be completely stupid."

Allisa nodded, "Unless she puts up another Educational Decree."

Ron rolled his eyes again, "She couldn't manage to do that. It's stupid, half of us are on the Quidditch team and the other half can just say that the food here is so good, that we're worried about obesity."

Hermione looked at him surprised, "You know what obesity is?"

Laughing Harry said, "C'mon, 'Mione, give him a little credit. He's thick, but he's not _that_ thick."

Ron scowled, "I feel like Sirius."

Ginny giggled as they headed for dinner, "I wonder if he's handling his err...feelings better now."

Somehow, they all doubted it.

* * *

At the Order meeting, everyone hurriedly took their seats. Grinning evilly, James sat next to Lily, who sat next to Aurora. Winking at James, Tonks left the seat next to Aurora and sat down, Remus sitting on the other side. Sirius was the last one to walk in and he glared at his friends when he saw the one seat that was remaining.

"You did that on purpose," Sirius hissed in Tonks's ear.

"Why, Sirius, I have no idea what you're talking about," Tonks said in an all too innocent voice.

Sirius rolled his eyes and tried not to concentrate on the fact that the woman he lik-no, the woman he had strong feelings for was sitting a few centimetres away from him. She was dressed formally today, in light grey dress robes, her lips painted nude and just a hint of eye shadow lingered on her eyelids.

Her attention was focused on Snape, who was talking about Voldemort's plans. He unwillingly took his eyes off her and looked at Snape, listening to him, hating the fact that he made sense.

"-Dark Lord is trying to keep low profile as much as possible, which is obvious considering he hasn't made any movements that outwardly show his comeback. This means that the Wizarding World has labelled Harry Potter and Dumbledore to be loony old liars, meaning that Voldemort basically has the upper hand here."

Lily frowned, "So our best bet would be to make the Wizarding World aware of his existence?"

Snape nodded.

Kingsley nodded slowly, "Alright, that makes sense, but we need more people on our side. If Voldemort decided to take over the Ministry in the next few months, it'd be all too easy for him. They have their defences down, they take ages to put them up, so this leaves us in more danger."

"How do we expose Voldemort?" Aurora asked.

Snape looked at her, "There aren't many plausible ways, you see. Almost all end up with people getting hurt."

"But this is a war, getting hurt is inevitable," Kingsley argued.

Dumbledore nodded from the head of the table, where he had been sitting, silently, "Right you are, Kingsley. However, at such an early stage, where war hasn't yet broken out, it would be foolish of us to do something so risky without having a plan or some reason. I think we will know how to expose Voldemort in a couple of months. Give it time. Until then, keep guarding the way you are. Is there anything else anyone would like to report or discuss?"

Many "no's" filled the room and Dumbledore bided goodbye to everyone before heading to Hogwarts via the Floo with the other Professors. As everyone else began to leave, Sirius noticed that Aurora was edging very slowly to the door and he walked up to her.

"Er, Aurora, want to join me for some coffee? I told Dobby to make some after the meeting finished, and he's made too much and James and Lily have gone home, because of the twins, and Moony's gone with Tonks because they have other err...activities they want to do and err-"

"Sirius," Aurora interrupted him firmly.

"Yes?"

"I'd like that very much." She smiled at him and followed him to the kitchen, glad that he'd managed to take the first step.

Sirius grinned, wondering if he should tell her that he fancied her. Studying her as they entered the dimly-lit kitchen, he opened his mouth, but promptly shut it again realising that he didn't know too much about her and he figured that if he did, he could impress her more on their first date.

Their first date! That sounded so nice. Sirius's grin widened and then he froze, scoffing internally, _Black, you're becoming such a sappy girl._

* * *

Hogwarts was steadily becoming less friendly. Umbridge had not taken well to Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys leaving for the weekend and hence she had taken to adding more and more decrees.

Hermione scoffed as she sat at the breakfast table, "She's got one saying that if any student wants to go off Hogwarts premises, they need permission for the High Inquisitor."

Harry shook his head, "If that woman gets anymore controlling, she'll be another version of Hitler."

The others, except Ginny, Allisa and Hermione (who giggled), looked confused, "A pinker version."

"Who's Hitler?" Ron asked.

"He was arguably the instigator of World War Two. He was a dictator and he ruled over Germany," Ginny replied.

Hermione grinned, "That's correct, Ginny."

"How in the name of Merlin did you know that?" Ron asked, surprised.

"I know things, Ronald, you shouldn't act so surprised when I get something right," Ginny huffed. She pecked Harry on the cheek and hurried to her Charms class.

Allisa rolled her eyes, "You can be such an idiot sometimes, Ron."

Ron grinned, "All in a day's work."

Harry shook his head, "Don't you and Allisa start bickering now. We have enough of that with you and Hermione."

Both Ron and Hermione blushed, avoiding each other's eyes. Allisa bit back a smile. "C'mon you lot, let's get to class."

All in all, in Harry's opinion, Monday went rather uneventfully, other than the mountain of homework the fifth years received. Even Occlumency went well for Harry; he was able to block Snape out quicker than he had been able to the last time, and although he tried to hide it, Harry knew Snape was rather proud of him.

So before he left, he couldn't resist saying, "You know, Professor, people think you're an evil, biased, mean old bat, but I reckon you're not that bad."

Snape, who had his back turned, half-smiled and then adopted his expressionless face, turning to face Harry, "I'm not sure whether that was a compliment, Mr Potter-"

"It was, sir, it was," Harry interrupted.

Snape nodded rather curtly and Harry was amused to see that he was slightly embarrassed, "Well, in that case, Potter, thank you. Give my regards to your mother." He paused and then, after a little hesitation added, "And to your father."

Harry couldn't mask the surprise on his face. He offered Snape a large, wide, toothy smile with an enthusiastic wave. Who would have thought Snape could be friendly, Harry thought to himself as he rushed up to the Gryffindor common room to tell his friends what had happened.

His path was soon blocked by Umbridge, still clad in her horribly disturbing bright pink robes. She had added a Hermès scarf, a darker shade of pink with light pink splotches. She wore a haughty expression on her face and eyed Harry with pure contempt.

"What exactly are you doing, Mr Potter?"

"I'm going to the Gryffindor Tower," Harry answered her coldly.

"Alone?"

"It appears so."

"Where's your entourage?" Umbridge's lip curled maliciously.

"My _friends_," Harry emphasised the word, "are somewhere else."

"Doing what?"

Harry was getting tired of her questions, "I don't know because as you can see Professor, I'm not with them at the moment,"

"Right." She eyed him suspiciously, "And where exactly were you?"

"With Professor Snape doing remedial potions."

"I wasn't aware you needed those classes,"

Harry nodded, stopping himself from rolling his eyes. "Well now you are."

Umbridge narrowed her eyes, "I'll be sure to ask professor Snape about them. And Mr Potter, if you actually paid attention in classes, you wouldn't need the help. "

"Yeah, sure, you do that. Now, Professor," Harry tried and failed to say that word without contempt, "I'd like to be back in my common room before curfew. Wouldn't want to get in any more trouble, now would I?" With a nod and a glare, Harry moved around her, stepping to the left, before heading very quickly towards the stairs wondering if something would happen and she'd mysteriously injure herself severely overnight. He grinned at the thought and shook his head, willing himself not to get too optimistic.

By Wednesday, Harry was exhausted. Between homework, classes, Occlumency, Animagi practice and exercise, he barely had enough time to plan out his DA lesson that evening. He relished the feeling of being able to teach the people in the DA because, as Hermione put it, it was a 'productive way of rebelling.'

There was also the fact that if there was a war, or some sort of attack, it'd be Harry, his family and his friends the ones in the gravest danger along with the Muggleborns, and Harry felt so strongly about them learning how to protect themselves that he was really glad Hermione had come up with the idea.

He realised that Hermione was probably the first sister he'd really had, even though they weren't related by blood. She'd been his pillar since their first year, she'd never left his side, even when Ron, his best mate had and to Harry, that meant more than he could articulate. Not to mention he probably wouldn't have been alive if it weren't for her and her brains.

Ron had always been his best mate and nothing would change that. They'd probably have their fair share of disagreements, but in the end, they were brothers and Harry knew that although neither of them would say it out loud, they loved each other.

Neville, Allisa and Luna were people, he realised, he could depend on, and he understood that if he were ever faced with a situation where he needed help, they'd help him without asking.

Ginny… Harry smiled as he thought of her. For him, she was perfect. There was nothing wrong with her, nothing that repulsed him, nothing that annoyed him, and to be honest, he'd never thought about that. She was smart, powerful, funny, kind, generous to a fault and so bloody beautiful that it made his heart stutter. He realised now that she meant everything to him. Everything and so much more.

He shook the thoughts out of his head, realising he was going to be late for the DA meeting, and he rushed to the seventh floor, grinning as he saw everyone pile into the Room of Requirement, him following after them.

"Alright, guys, you've all been practicing really hard, so I think it's time we move onto something more challenging. You're going to learn how to produce a Patronus today," Harry began, grinning as he heard shocked and awed gasps. "I think it's really important that you know how to cast one considering Voldemort now has the Dementors under his control." The atmosphere in the room became more subdued.

It was Dean who broke the silence by asking, "You think we'll be able to do that?"

Harry shrugged, "It'll take a few attempts to master, but it can be done. Patronuses are sort of like fighting Boggarts. The incantation in simple: _Expecto Patronum_, but to really produce a Patronus, you have to summon a really happy memory. You might not be able to produce a fully-fledged Patronus yet; some of you will get wisps of silver, others might not get anything. You have to remember that it's very advanced magic, so you shouldn't get disheartened."

Several people nodded and Harry instructed them to practice the incantation in a similar way his Uncle Remus had taught him; once they'd gotten that down path, he said, "Right, now think of a happy memory. A really happy one. Something that will fill you up, make you warm and give you enough strength to ward off the Dementors."

Harry demonstrated and people watched with wonder as a silver glowing stag erupted from his wand and pawed the ground nervously. Everyone clapped and Harry blushed, putting his wand away, watching as the stag padded away and disappeared, "Patronuses can come in really handy because they can also be used to communicate with people. So, how about you guys try it now?"

He watched as everyone tried, struggling to find the memory that gave them that much happiness. He was proud to see that Hermione managed it without too much hassle, followed by (to his surprise) Luna and then Ginny, all of whom were able to produce thin smoky wisps. He let them practice for a while longer and grinned when the older students were able to produce the silvery smoke that developed further into a proper shield. Harry knew it wouldn't be long before some of them were able to produce corporeal Patronuses.

Then he broke them up into pairs. He numbered each one and made them duel. He tried to make it as fair as possible by pairing up with people of the same age as much as possible, or by pairing them by ability. He also tried to mix up the houses. It was really comic to see. He paired Hermione and Ron up on purpose and told them to give a demonstration.

Amused, Harry watched as Hermione and Ron bowed to each other and took their places on the opposite sides of the room.

Hermione rolled her eyes as Ron spoke to her whilst they were bowing, "Don't worry too much, Hermione, I'll go easy on you."

She quirked an eyebrow, "Thank you, Ronald, I appreciate the concern."

As she walked to her side of the room, she saw Fred and George grinning at her, "You get him, 'Mione."

She just winked. She waited for Ron to take a breath, and just when he was about to say an incantation, Hermione yelled, "_Impedimenta!"_

The shocked look on Ron's face was the last thing she saw before he was flung backwards into a tapestry.

Hermione grinned at Harry, and as he looked at his best mate's disgruntled expression, Harry decided it was best if he moved on to the next pair as soon as possible.

* * *

The rest of the week flew by and on Saturday morning, Harry and Ginny found themselves rushing to Dumbledore's office so they could Floo to Potter Manor for their lessons again. Whereas Harry was going to focus on making his jinxes and curses stronger with whatever powers he had, Ginny was looking forward to learning more about the skills that being an Inferno involved.

She had been practicing a lot with her Empathy skills and she was surprised to see that she could not only feel other people's emotions, but if she allowed herself to, she could see them and they appeared in different colours, a very vivid array that had blinded her the first time she found out she had it, which had been during lunch at the Great Hall.

She grinned as she greeted Lily and James; after she stepped through the Floo, almost immediately, Lily ushered her to the Library. She bid Celeste a good morning and felt an excited shiver take over her body as she entered the enclosed library.

"What are we learning today, Lily?" Ginny asked, practically bouncing up and down.

Lily laughed at her enthusiasm, "Today we're going to..." Lily paused here, grinning as she saw Ginny's impatient expression.

"Yeeees?" Ginny asked.

"Mind-blocking and mind-reading. But we'll finish that up pretty quickly, you just have to project yourself in to someone else's mind and, well, read it. Mind blocking is what we've been making Harry do, so that should be simple too. It should only take a couple of hours, so let's see how we do and then we can have lunch, come back here and you can learn some more, alright?"

Ginny nodded, "Sounds good."

Lily clapped her hands, "Perfect. Alright. Now, the first thing I need you to know is that, along with mind reading, you'll be able to communicate telepathically and at times, if the person you communicate with is strong enough, then they'll communicate back. The way to be able to mind read or communicate is imagination."

Ginny gave her a blank look, "It's that simple?"

Lily nodded, "You imagine the person you want to talk to. Then, you'll be able to feel them and their emotions, if you pay more attention, you'll be able to hear their thoughts and then you can project your own to them. Now, at first, distance will be a problem, but soon, that is, if you practice, it won't matter."

Ginny smiled, "Okay, so can I try?"

Lily grinned at her, "Yeah you can. Calm yourself, close your eyes, because it's your first time and you need to concentrate. Focus on me and let's see what you can do."

Ginny tried and the first few times she got nothing. The sixth time she tried it, however, she managed. She focused, and for the first time since she'd attempted, really felt Lily's emotions, and without opening her eyes, she could see the vibrant colours; a little bit green tranquillity, pink uncertainty, grey anxiousness, yellow happiness, and above all else, blinding white hope. As Ginny delved further into Lily's emotions, she found that she could find the thoughts to link up to those emotions and those thoughts led onto more.

She jumped when she heard Lily's voice in her head, "_Well done sweetheart, can you try talking back?"_

"_Err...sure?" Ginny offered mentally._

Ginny watched mesmerised as the colours changed, the white and yellow the brightest but along with them, two other colours; a charming apricot that Ginny realised represented admiration and a bright, deep tomato red that symbolised pride. Ginny felt herself being pushed out of Lily's mind, and when she felt the colours and feelings fade away she opened her eyes and gasped as Lily pulled her into a hug.

"You did it!" Lily squealed excitedly.

"Did it take me long?" Ginny asked.

"Two hours, but honestly, Ginny, it should have taken you longer. We have about an hour till lunch, would you like to try something else?"

"I'd love to!" Ginny exclaimed.

Lily smiled, "Alright, I'm going to give you some books." Lily laughed as Ginny wrinkled her nose, "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but it's so much easier than me explaining, you'll understand quicker that way and then we can get to the actual action."

Ginny sighed, "Alright, if I have to."

Lily handed her four books and Ginny smiled as she realised the important pages had been bookmarked. The first one Ginny opened was called _Manifesting your Powers._

_When you have mastered the art of Empathy, it means that you are truly in touch with your inner self and your emotions. Infernos have the capability to understand people to the point where they can dissect every individual feeling, thought and emotion. They also have the power of being able to transform these emotions into something else. To do this, you have to project the feeling, the intense emotion that you have. The universe and the very essence of magic respond to the whims of an Inferno, therefore if that need can be put forward in the right way, magic will respond._

_This means that Infernos are capable of moving objects with their minds as long as they are able to connect with them. For Infernos, this skill should be instinctual, something that they are born with and something that is able to resurface very quickly when they have put their mind to it. _

Ginny flicked to the next bookmark. She was so surprised once again by the abundance of power she could potentially have, and she wondered how much help it would be when things became darker, and more importantly, how much help it would be when it came to protecting the people she cared about.

After an hour, Ginny and Lily headed back to the Dining Room where they found Sirius, Remus, James, Harry, Arya, Iris and Dorea ready to eat. To no one's surprise Sirius was whining. "I swear to Merlin, girls take _forever_! When are they getting her -Oh hello, Lily, Ginny." Sirius smiled when they entered the room.

"Are you ever going to start acting you age, Sirius?" Lily asked with a soft smile.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Silly Lily," Sirius said with a haughty smirk.

Everyone else smothered giggles as Lily glared at him. "Make him shut up, please," she begged James and Remus.

James quirked an eyebrow at her, "Love, we've been around him forever and we've been wishing that he would; but alas, our wish has never come true."

"So, Lily-pad, guess you're stuck with me."

"You haven't made up such ridiculous nicknames in a while," Lily snorted as Dotty and Daisy bought in the food and Sirius dove for it.

Ginny laughed, "That'll keep him busy."

"No donf wovvy, I ca' sti' tal'," Sirius said with his mouth full.

"Uncle Sirius, that's disgusting," Harry laughed.

"Yet, you'd think we'd be used to it after Ron," Ginny giggled.

"Sirius, that's very unattractive," scolded Dorea as she shook her head.

"Yeah, imagine Aurora saw you doing that. What _would _she say?" Remus asked.

Sirius scowled, "Bugger off, Moony."

"What's going on with you and her anyway?" James asked as he fed Arya a piece of chicken.

"Nothing," Sirius replied shortly, wishing the answer was different.

"But you like her. Why don't you tell her?" Harry chimed in.

Sirius frowned, "Because I'm not impulsive. Just because I have feelings for someone, it doesn't mean I'm automatically going to jump in bed with them." He scowled as James scoffed; Lily gave him a sceptical look; Dorea choked on the salad she was eating and Remus laughed.

Remus's laugh faded away when he realised Sirius wasn't joking, "You're kidding, right?"

"Do you not remember your womanizing reputation Padfoot?" James asked.

"From what I remember, you certainly prided yourself on being a Casanova," Lily smirked.

Sirius sighed, "_Fine._ I just don't want to."

Dorea opened her mouth to ask why, but James caught her eye and shook his head discreetly. Sirius was a very contradictory person; if you told him to do something, he'd end up doing the opposite, and once he made up his mind, it would very rarely change. James thought about seventh year, when Sirius had dated Cara McCall, a girl in Ravenclaw. They'd been dating from March till Easter, when she went home for the holidays and didn't come back. A week later it had been reported on the Daily Prophet that her entire family had been slaughtered because her mother, a Pureblood, had married a Muggle.

James still remembered Sirius's face after reading the article; shock, rage, hatred and huge amount of sadness. He knew Sirius hadn't been in love with the girl, but he also knew that if they had had more time together, there would be a chance of them being in love now and no one deserved to have that chance taken away. He knew that Sirius did fancy Aurora and if Voldemort hadn't returned, he would have pursued her. His best mate was scared and James knew for a fact that he didn't like to showcase it, especially if he was forced to.

When his eyes met Lily's, he realised she was having the same thoughts and they exchanged a worried look that was about Sirius and about something they were going to have to do later.

* * *

Ginny and Lily finished a bit more of Ginny's training where Ginny learned that she could actually throw flames. After multiple attempts, she was able to conjure a very small fire to erupt on her palm without too much trouble. Harry finished his Animagus practice, and when they had to head back to Hogwarts, Harry was surprised to see that James and Lily were accompanying them.

When they reached Dumbledore's office, Ginny sensed that they needed some family time alone, so she excused herself after kissing Harry and waving goodbye to his parents.

Harry turned to his mother, "So, what are you guys doing here?"

Lily looked at her baby boy, who (as much as she hated to admit) really wasn't a baby anymore. She sniffled as tears welled in her eyes and without so much as saying anything, pulled him in roughly for a hug, knowing that what they were going to tell him next would have a huge impact on his life.

"_Woah! _Ma? Are you alright?" Harry asked worriedly as she clutched to him tightly. His worry heightened when his father joined the hug, a solemn expression on his face.

Dumbledore climbed down a staircase that Harry had never noticed, and that was when Lily finally let go. They sat opposite Dumbledore in three squashy, comfy armchairs. Harry looked from the troubled expressions of his parents to Dumbledore's whose expression, Harry was alarmed to see looked vulnerable. "Alright, what's going on?"

James sighed, "Bud, this really isn't going to be easy for us to say, and you're probably going to think less of us after we do-"

"No I'm not," Harry interrupted, his green eyes flashing slightly, "I'll never think less of you. I didn't when you left me with the Dursleys and I won't now."

Lily smiled at him, hoping he knew how proud they were of him. He really was more mature than he ought to be. She sighed, "To be honest, Harry, I don't know where to start. Sometimes we think that we should have told you all of this before, but then you were too young. Dumbledore was desperately against the idea. He's really very protective of you, but James and I decided that this is for the best. A few years ago, or even a few months ago, before the Tournament, you would have been too young to take on what we're about to tell you, and I'm not going to lie, sweetheart, it's a terrible burden and we wish it hadn't come upon you." She looked at Dumbledore.

"Harry, we decided that you were far too young to know any of this, to take on the responsibility, but when Lily and James came to me to try and persuade me to tell you, I realised that it would be a burden to anyone at any age. Then in your first year, you stopped Quirrell and Voldemort trying to obtain the Philosopher's Stone, but at age eleven, you were far too young, so your parents and I agreed that it wasn't the time to tell you. Then, in your second year, you rescued Ginny Weasley from the Chamber of Secrets and although the subject of your scar came up, you asked no questions about Voldemort, so I let it go. In your third year, I watched you learn who Sirius is, find out he's innocent and help him escape. I started wondering then, that it was your third year and whether I should tell you because even at such a young age, you had accomplished so much, but then I argued that you were still far too young. Last year, at fourteen, you were forced to participate in the Triwizard Tournament and by the end of it you watched Cedric Diggory get murdered and Voldemort return. You'd experienced something so traumatic, I didn't want to burden you any further, and therefore I persuaded your parents to postpone telling you once again. This year, however, Lily and James have decided to tell you and I realise that there isn't much use postponing it anymore."

Lily sniffled slightly again and took Harry's hand in hers, "We didn't tell you because we wanted to protect you, honey,"

Harry just nodded, feeling slightly confused.

"A prophecy was made sixteen years ago. Sixteen years ago, I also called James and Lily to my office to tell them about it. I told them that they couldn't fight it, that the only thing they could do is go into hiding. I was at the Hog's Head pub in Hogsmeade interviewing Sybil Trelawney for the post of Divination Professor. By the end of the interview I had realised that she was not the candidate I was looking for, but as I rose to leave, Sybil ended up making a real prophecy. This was overheard by a Death Eater and Voldemort learned half of it. But only half. Now, he's after the prophecy to know the rest of it."

James chimed in, "We were beyond terrified, Harry. Lily was eight months pregnant, the Wizarding world as we knew it was drastically changing. The word safe didn't even exist anymore. If it weren't for the defensive old magic Dad had taught me and the Inferno magic Lily possessed, we would have died without a doubt."

Harry saw so many emotions pass through his father's eyes, and he realised that the older man was feeling guilty; James thought that he hadn't protected them well enough. He sighed, "So this prophecy made Voldemort come after us?"

Dumbledore brought the Pensieve to his desk and Harry watched as he used his wand to take out a light silvery memory from his mind and place it in the basin. He gestured to Harry to listen to it.

Taking a deep breath, Harry plunged his head into the Pensieve gasping as he was thrust into Dumbledore's memory. He saw a younger version of Sybil Trelawney, clad in a long black dress and a murky shawl, her tennis-ball shaped glasses, framing her eyes which had become unfocused. Her voice was hoarse and reminded Harry of the time she made a prophecy in his third year.

"_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ..."_

As the memory faded away, Harry lifted his head up, "What does it mean?"

"It means that only a child born towards the end of July fifteen years ago has the power to destroy Voldemort," Dumbledore replied sadly.

Harry gulped and found he could only whisper, "Me?"

"No. The prophecy referred to a boy born at the end of July. There were two such births-"

"Neville," Harry interrupted.

"Yes, Neville, however Voldemort came after you, marking you as his equal."

Harry scowled, "Why me?"

"That's the interesting part, Harry. He saw something in you that made him doubt himself. He didn't go after the pure-blooded baby, he went after you. You're a half-blood, just like him. You've defeated him with the one power he will never have."

"What is that?"

"Love," Dumbledore replied. "It was Lily's love that stopped Voldemort from killing you that night on Halloween. It's an emotion Voldemort is completely unfamiliar with, he isn't capable of it, it's something that he feels makes him far too human and he doesn't want to be human. Being human means you die and Voldemort is afraid of death. Love is unselfish, loyal, and it can overcome anything. It is magic in its absolute purest form. It is also the most mysterious and the least known form of magic, because love cannot be taught, Harry, it can only be felt."

Harry nodded, "And the last part of the prophecy, '_Neither can live while the other survives'. _Does it mean I have to kill him?"

"It means that either he will die at your hands or you will die at his. You must be the one to kill Voldemort, Harry, because you're the only one who can."

Harry looked into Dumbledore's eyes and found that they were full of worry; he looked down again, gulping, trying to process all the information. A large part of him wanted to yell and scream and ask why that hadn't told him before, but the other part of him understood why, and wished they hadn't told him, wished he could run away. He sighed, unsure of what to say, "Oh."

**A/N: Poor Harry. But he had to know. So this is going to change things _quite a bit_ and I do have a lot of plans which I'm really excited to sort of put on Word (gone are the times people used to say paper).**

**The next chapter is more of a filler chapter, but it is rather interesting (lots of Caps Lock stuff going on!)**

**Recommendation time:**

**1. **_Farrago_ **by **_B.C. Daily: A medley of unconnected drabbles focusing on James and Lily._

**I absolutely swear by that author. The story is short and sweet; a serious must-read!**

**2.** _A World Apart_ **by** _lolagirl: Draco Malfoy is visited by Hermione Granger in the middle of the night. But how is this possible? She's been dead for two months now... NOT a ghost story. DHr._

**A very fresh, original storyline that was very very interesting! **_  
_

**3.** _Time Turner_ **by** _licutie: "Do you think he'd just like disappear or something?" he asked wide eyed. Hopping back up on the desk Theo answered, "I don't know dude but do you seriously want to risk that. You and Hermione are going to have to do this, man." Crossing his arms Draco gave Theo a petulant look, "Well you can be the one to tell Granger that."_

**This one is not yet complete, but is updated quite regularly. It's got a lot of Draco/Hermione family interaction. It's brilliant!**_  
_

**4.** _Marauder's Girl_ **by **_Peachy Papayas: James and Lily have always hated each other. But in their fourth year, a stupid dare compels James to ask out his enemy. When she refuses, he is shocked no girl has ever refused him before. And thus began his infatuation with a certain redhead..._

**James and Lily; fights, drama, sweetness, kissing and a whole lotta Sirius. Need I say more?**_  
_

**IMPORTANT NOTE now:**

**College will start for me sometime next week and then I will also have a lot of classes like language and dance and art and singing, so I'm not sure how much time I'll have. Naturally I've started a updating trend which I want to follow, but I'm just warning you that it might take nine to ten days or more instead of six or seven.**

**Alright, so that's it for now! **

**Let me know what you thought of the chapter. Suggestions as always are welcome! Reviews get a teaser, as usual!**

**Thank you for reading!**

**Have a lovely week :)**

**Love,**

**Ishani**


	45. Chapter 45:Another Few Weeks

**A/N: Hi everyone! I know I'm updating a little later and it's because of admission stress and college. But I got admission (-insert happy dance here-) and once my routine gets set up and stuff, I'll be able to update sooner and sooner. This is a shorter, filler chapter. I should have the next one up very soon (as soon as it has been edited!). Notices at the bottom as always. Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: If I was JKR (I'm not) and I owned Harry Potter, I wouldn't be on a fanfiction website. **

Chapter 45: Another Few Weeks.

Harry trudged silently upstairs to his room, knowing that within a few minutes, his parents would follow, and truth be told, he didn't really want to talk to them. In fact he didn't want to talk to anybody.

Dumbledore was right. This was a burden, a very big one.

It all came down to him, Harry realised bitterly, and he would either be able to kill Voldemort, or he would die trying. Harry scoffed; _it's a good thing I'm considered noble, _he thought.

Lily and James opened the door silently and stepped inside. Lily sighed as she felt all the emotions that were coursing through Harry; fear, stress, nervousness and _anger_ in such tumultuous and huge amounts that Lily staggered slightly. It was when Harry bit back a sob and failed that Lily thought she heard her heart break.

"Oh, _sweetheart, _come here," Lily beckoned as she forced Harry into a hug.

James rapidly blinked back the moisture forming in his eyes as he wrapped his arms around his wife and child, "It's going to be okay, bud; it's going to be okay."

Harry looked up at him, "How do you know that? HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT? YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME ALL THIS BEFORE SO I COULD HAVE...COULD HAVE STARTED TO DEFEND MYSELF, STARTED TO PRACTICE, TO PREPARE MYSELF TO FIGHT THE WORLD'S BLOODY DARKEST WIZARD. FIFTEEN YEARS I'VE BEEN WONDERING WHY IT'S ALWAYS ME, WHY IT ISN'T SOMEBODY ELSE. WHY HE WENT AFTER ME WHEN I WAS A BABY AND NOTHING I CAME UP WITH EVER MADE SENSE. AND I...AND I _THOUGHT _THAT YOU HADN'T TOLD ME BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOURSELF, BUT I WAS WRONG ABOUT THAT WASN'T I? YOU KNEW, YOU KNEW AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO _PROTECT _ME. WELL GUESS WHAT? I MAY BE FIFTEEN, I MAY STILL BE A CHILD LEGALLY, BUT I'VE SEEN THINGS MOST ADULTS HAVEN'T SEEN. I'VE SEEN CEDRIC DIGGORY DIE, VOLDEMORT COME BACK, HIM TRY TO KILL ME ABOUT FOUR TIMES, SAVED PEOPLE FROM HIM AND YOU STILL DON'T SEE FIT TO TELL ME THAT I'M THE ONLY ONE IN THE WHOLE BLOODY WORLD THAT CAN SAVE HIM? I DON'T CARE IF I'M BEING BRATTY AND CHILDISH, I DON'T CARE-"

"Harry-" James attempted.

"-AND YOU KNOW WHY I DON'T CARE? BECAUSE NONE OF THIS IS FAIR FOR ME. I DON'T WANT TO BE THE ONE TO KILL HIM, TO GET RID OF HIM. I DON'T WANT TO GET RID OF ANYONE. I MEAN HE'S THE WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL EVIL WIZARD AND I'M A FIFTEEN YEAR OLD BOY WHO HASN'T EVEN FINISHED HIS EDUCATION. SURE, I'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT, BUT HALF OF IT'S BEEN LUCK AND THE OTHER HALF, I HAD TONS OF PEOPLE TO HELP ME. I DON'T EVEN SEE THE SENSE IN TRYING-"

"THAT is about enough now, Harry. No matter the circumstances, it is absolutely out of the question that you speak so lightly about your possible death and that you speak to us in such a disrespectful way," Lily scolded, and she spoke with such finality that Harry closed his mouth. She sighed, "Well that leaves absolutely no doubt that you've inherited my temper."

Harry just scowled at her.

James sighed, "Harry, look at the way you're reacting now. A part of you is angry with us, and although that is understandable, you're turning a lot of fear that you feel into anger because you don't want to be scared, you don't want to be afraid of the fact that you might...you might not be able to fulfil the prophecy; But, Harry, you're not on your own. You may be the one who has to fight Voldemort and kill him; but, kiddo, we're all going to be backing you up a hundred and twenty per cent, all the time."

Harry gulped down the lump in his throat and whispered, "But what if I can't do it?"

"Then someone else will," Lily replied.

"But the prophecy-" Harry began.

Lily shook her head as she interrupted him, "The prophecy got meaning when Voldemort tried to kill you when you were a baby and he couldn't. He puts too much stock in to the prophecy. Don't you start doing the same thing now."

Harry nodded shakily, "Alright."

"We love you, Harry," James said, his voice full of emotion.

"I love you too."

Lily and James wrapped their arms around him again. He understood why his parents hadn't told him; he probably wouldn't have understood the danger when he was younger, and after the Triwizard Tournament, his emotions had really been all over the place. Nevertheless, he was still frustrated that his parents hadn't told him before and he felt that he trusted them a smidge less because they kept something so big from him. He wondered how he was going to manage something that seemed so ridiculously impossible.

It wasn't as though Harry was more powerful, or anywhere near as smart as Tom Riddle. He didn't have the years of experience, or the knowledge that Voldemort had undoubtedly gained. Then the words of Dumbledore came back to him: _"Love is unselfish, loyal, and it can overcome anything. It is magic in its most absolute and purest form. It is also the most mysterious and the least known form of magic, because love cannot be taught, Harry, it can only be felt," _he realised that although he didn't have the same skills, he had a lot more of what Voldemort would never even dream of: His family and his friends.

Lily and James left before dinner, after consoling Harry and asking Hermione, Ron and Ginny to make sure that he was alright. Although Harry had a smile on his face throughout dinner, he knew that his best friends and his girlfriend were not fooled by the façade that he was trying to pull, and he knew he'd be interrogated after dinner.

He had been right.

When they entered the common room, Ginny dragged him to a secluded corner of it and made him sit down. Hermione took a seat in front of him whilst Ron and Ginny took a seat on either side.

"Alright, Harry, what's going on?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing," Harry answered, hoping futilely that they would believe him.

Of course, no such luck.

"You might want to think about who you're lying to, Harry James Potter," Ginny demanded. "What happened with your parents, you and Dumbledore? What did they tell you?"

Harry sighed, "Where's Neville and Allisa? I think they should hear this too."

As if on cue, Neville and Allisa entered the Common Room and Ron beckoned them over.

Harry took a deep breath before he began, "There's this prophecy and it was made sixteen years ago by Professor Trelawney. It said that a child would be born at the end of July to a couple who had defied Voldemort three times, with a power that the Dark Lord doesn't know. There's this line that says _neither can live whilst the other survives,_ which means that either I have to kill him or he has to kill me."

Ginny gulped as she grabbed his hand. Neville, Allisa and Ron's eyes had simultaneously widened and Hermione looked half scared, half shocked, "And you were the only one to fall into this category?"

Harry shook his head, "No, so did Neville."

Neville turned pale, "W-what? Me?"

Harry nodded. "Your parents had defied Voldemort three times too and your birthday's just a day before mine, but Voldemort chose me and marked me as his equal. Dumbledore thinks it's because I'm a half-blood, like him."

"Well I can't say that I'm gutted that he didn't come after me, Harry. I'm sorry."

Harry shook his head again, "No, I understand. I wish it wasn't me either, but someone's got to do it, I guess." He shrugged.

Allisa bit her lip softly, "Well, you're not going to be alone. We're going to be with you for all of this."

Ron nodded in agreement, "Through everything, mate."

Harry grinned, "I know, thanks."

He sighed softly as Ginny curled into his side, wondering how on earth he'd gotten so lucky to get friends who were as close as family.

* * *

The rest of January continued to be cold, yet uneventful. Fitness training continued with the Weasleys, Hermione, Harry, Neville and Allisa running laps around the Black Lake and doing exercises like push-ups and pull-ups. They did this every morning and Harry was pleased to find that this relieved a lot of stress and anger, as well as make him feel fresher.

Umbridge was still being true to her nickname as she went out of her way to try and get Harry into as much trouble as possible, with very little success. There were a group of students that she had set up started following Harry and his friends and so they thought it would be fun to take them on detours. Fred and George took Crabbe and Goyle, who were following them all over the school, and thanks to the exercise that the twins had been doing, they weren't all that tired, but the second time they started climbing to the third floor, it took all Crabbe and Goyle could do to stop themselves from collapsing on the spot. Ginny and Harry took Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson to a secluded, dark corner on the fifth floor, where they started making noises giving the impression that they were carrying out not-so-innocent deeds, much to the Slytherins' distaste. So, after a few days of torturing them, they much to Umbridge's dismay, had given up.

To everyone's shock, Malfoy had declined the invitation to join Umbridge's elite army. He looked very unlike himself; Harry found himself getting worried, and he could not figure out the reason. He looked paler than usual (Harry didn't think that it could be possible), dark circles beneath his eyes that had a constant hollow look to them, as opposed to the normal malice that glinted in them. He looked at Harry with a bit of distaste, some fear and, for some reason, a little jealousy and respect, and Harry found this horribly unnerving. He no longer taunted Hermione or Ron, took his Prefect duties very seriously and could often be found in the library as many times as Allisa or Hermione.

Harry had started separate lessons with Lily as well, and he was learning how to channel his emotions in a way that would give him more power. If he was honest, he was slightly disappointed with his progress, or in his opinion, lack thereof, but his mother kept telling him that he was doing well. Ron, Hermione and Ginny were also progressing with their transformations. By the end of January, Ron could change his left hand, Hermione could change her left and right and Ginny could manage everything up to the torso for the raven. Harry mastered the wolf paws along with the owl and phoenix that he had done before.

The DA was progressing very well. They had been duelling more and more, and Harry was delighted to see that so many students were so good at holding their own in battle. He was also very surprised that he got along fairly well with the Slytherins, and that they got along with everyone else as well. Theodore Nott, or as Hermione and Allisa had taken to calling him, Teddy (which he absolutely loathed), was a smart guy who was both kind and cunning. He had been given many nicknames: Ted, Teddy and Theo, and he preferred the latter. He was very powerful and had a freakish sense of intuition. He was also level-headed and sometimes reminded Harry a lot of Remus. He, Ron, Neville and Harry had become quite close and Harry was surprised when Ginny pointed out that they were kind of like the junior Marauders minus the whole trouble-making thing that Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs seemed to consider their occupation.

As for the other Slytherins, Astoria Greengrass, a third year and was surprisingly good at defensive Charms. She had curly chocolaty brown hair and wide mocha brown eyes. Her lips were bright pink and she had rather high cheekbones, with a slightly rounded chin. Her sister Daphne was the exact opposite in a way that reminded Harry of Lily and Petunia; Daphne had pale blue eyes and dirty blonde hair. The only similarity the sisters had was the facial shape. Daphne was very good at duelling, managing to disarm Hermione after only two tries. Tracy Davis was the one who surprised Harry the most. She was incredibly fast at duelling and very skilled with spells. Harry found out that this was because her father was an abusive drunk and Tracy often had to fight her way out of dangerous situations. She had a slightly Asian look, with a slightly tanned, oval shape and unusually exotic almond coloured eyes. She also always had a coloured streak on her hair, which she changed fortnightly with a spell. This time she was sporting a teal one.

He was very glad to have befriended them because not only were they going to be a huge asset in a fight against the Death Eaters, they were very nice people and Harry genuinely liked them.

Occlumency lessons were going well too. Harry was becoming increasingly better and was capable of getting rid of Snape from his mind within seconds of the professor entering it. As his skills got better, Snape wasn't able to penetrate his mental defences at all, and then his sessions went from weekly to fortnightly. As Snape had said to him, _"Now I won't have to put up with you as much, Potter." _But Harry hadn't been fooled; he could tell Snape was impressed with what he had accomplished.

All in all, for Harry, life wasn't being too harsh, and being the optimist he was, he wondered how long it would really last.

* * *

Ginny grinned, opening one of the windows slightly as she watched snowflakes fall silently, melting when they touched the wet Hogwarts grounds. They started to fall faster and faster and she smiled as the ground started to look like it had been covered with a blanket of cotton. She shivered slightly as she felt the February chill. She snapped the window shut and mentally slapped herself as she realised that she'd gotten distracted and turned her attention back to the book Lily had given her. It was more of a notebook and Lily had filled it with various different things that Ginny needed to know about Infernos.

Ginny had mastered empathy fully and completely. Lily had been both surprised and amazed at what Ginny had accomplished. Ginny could manipulate emotions, and Lily told her to practice around Potter Manor, and Ginny would be lying if she said she didn't have fun. She made Sirius feel so in love with Aurora that he almost blurted out that he liked her. She made Aurora feel very annoyed and made her keep snapping at Sirius. She made James very nervous and jumpy and Harry feel hungry all the time, so he was constantly eating.

She then attempted to do mind-reading and telepathy, which she still practiced everyday as it was something that was proving to be quite difficult. She had managed it once with Lily, but since that time, she had never been able to do it again. Lily told her that this was very common, and that it would come back to her when she needed it. Ginny had managed it so well because as Lily was also an Inferno, their energies were able to interact very easily. Ginny didn't understand exactly how it worked but Lily had assured her that she would soon.

Lily had then made her practice wandless magic. For two weeks, Ginny had done her homework and then religiously practiced the skills that she required. Then, Lily had taught her how to conjure flames with her hand but Ginny had taken it to another level. It seemed that Fire was her main element so she could make things heat, bring them to a boil and make them explode. She was rather good with her Earth powers, but nothing compared to Lily. Her Water powers weren't as impressive as her Fire ones either, but her Air powers were quite strong too. She could make a gentle breeze turn into a powerful tornado as she had demonstrated in the backyard of Potter Manor.

She was now learning about healing magic and Lily had given her about a dozen books to read, but Ginny didn't mind. In fact, and she didn't think she'd ever admit this for the fear of sounding too much like Hermione, she found it rather fun.

As she turned to the last chapter of the last book, she let her mind wander towards the upcoming Valentine's Day. She grinned; she really couldn't wait.

**A/N: A rather short chapter, I know. But like I said it was more of a filler.**

**I want to thank the guest reviewer who reviewed almost a dozen times with one worded feedback; thank you so much for taking the time to do that. It means a lot :)**

**My recommendations this time:**

**1.** _Have you hugged James Potter today? _**by **_Procrastinator-starting2moro: A hug a day keeps James Potter at bay. JamesLily. One shot._

**It's a really cute and short story. So if you ever want a quick read, I'd suggest you read that!**

**2.** _Better be Slytherin! _**by** _jharad17: YEAR ONE COMPLETED! As a first year, Harry is sorted into Slytherin instead of Gryffindor, and no one is more surprised than his new Head of House. Snape mentors Harry fic._

**This is definitely one of my new Harry/Snape favourites. It's very sweet and heartwarming! I couldn't recommend it enough.**

**3.** _Addiction_ **by** _twilightstargazer: He's an Addiction. A dangerous one at that too. And you know that._

**It's brilliant. It really is and you can tell that by the first chapter. So read it!**

**My college timings are quite terrible actually. I have lectures from seven thirty and then they go on till late afternoon so I should have time to write most evenings providing I don't have homework or other classes.**

**I hope you liked this chapter! A huge thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed or favourited the story! Let me know what you thought of this chapter. Reviews get teasers as always.**

**Have a lovely week! **

**Much love always,**

**Ishani**


	46. Chapter 46:On A Valentine's Day

**A/N: Hello all you wonderful people! College is a whirlwind of fun and assignments. I love it. However it gives me very little time to write, but I'm working on that, I really am. Here is another instalment of The Beginning Of The End and it is my favourite chapter so far because it has a lot of fluff and a very special something-those who reviewed know ;). A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed last time or added this story and I to their favourites/alerts. Always appreciated hugely! Notices at the bottom. Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing that you recognise from JKR's world of Harry Potter.**

Chapter 46: On A Valentine's Day

Sirius sighed as he woke up on February fourteenth. He'd woken up because he'd had a _very _vivid dream about Aurora, whom he had yet to tell about his feelings for her. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging one strand rather roughly as he thought about her.

They had become quite close friends. James was with Lily and Remus was with Tonks, so it had sort of become a compulsion for Aurora and Sirius to hang out together at Order meetings or otherwise for dinners when they got together. This caused a very weird internal dilemma to erupt within Sirius, because where on one hand he absolutely relished spending time with her, he was trying to distance himself so that he could get a reign on his feelings and control them.

Of course life had other ideas for them, because they were put together all the time. Inspired by the DA, Dumbledore had decided that the Order of the Phoenix needed more practice, so once a week they had duelling practice and stamina endurance. Somehow, everyone teamed up to pair Aurora and Sirius up every time and this included Severus Snape. How that had happened, Sirius had no idea.

Of course, it had to be James and Remus's idea, but he wasn't sure exactly how they had conned everyone into trying to get Aurora and himself together. He didn't know what to make of it. He'd completely disregarded the suggestion that he'd been given to 'woo' Aurora because he was so sure that she deserved someone better than him. After all, what did he have to offer someone like her?

Sure, he had money, but she wasn't the type to care about that. He was incredibly good looking, but she wasn't that shallow. He came from a family that was well-known for its involvement in anything remotely involving the Dark Arts. He didn't have the best history when it came to his family either -running away from them and then being practically disowned, he couldn't imagine that this would be particularly appealing to really anybody.

So he'd given up. He'd never wooed a girl in his life anyway, so he figured it would be something he wasn't good at. At Hogwarts, girls had been after his life to have him as a date. Sirius smiled bitterly, life sure did have a funny sense of humour.

Then there was that girl in seventh year, Cara McCall, who he had liked a lot. It was the first girl he'd never had to cheat on, she matched him where their wits were concerned and laughed easily. But then she'd been murdered. It had been the same situation; the beginning of the war (and this seemed to be happening again), he started liking a bird more than he should and then she was taken away from him.

To Sirius, it seemed that everything that he cared about got taken away: Lily, James and Harry almost died, Regulus went and joined the bloody Death Eaters (_the idiotic sod_), Charles Potter - who had been more of a father to him than his own- and Uncle Alphard who really fell in the same category as Charles, a father figure.

He sighed.

The more he thought about it, the more reasons he could find to just not try, because in all honesty he wasn't good enough for her. Therefore, he woke up depressed. He scowled. He really hated Valentine's Day.

* * *

James grinned as the harsh February sun streamed through the windows. He looked at Lily and he couldn't believe that he really had married her. Sometimes he wondered if this was some sort of dream, because she'd given him everything he'd ever wanted. He sighed as the sunlight hit her hair, showing the natural highlights of a dark copper that she had. Her skin looked creamy, her cheeks slightly pink and her soft lips were parted slightly. He shook his head. How on earth had he gotten so lucky?

He exited the room quietly and ran down the stairs. Entering the kitchen, he asked Dotty if he could help make breakfast for Lily. Dotty smiled and nodded, and James got to work. He made pancakes and waffles, squeezed some fresh orange juice and then ran into the garden to pluck some flowers.

He took a few daisies, some yellow tulips and some calla lilies as he always did. As a last minute addition, he added a few purple orchids and then ran back into the kitchen and put everything on a tray. Levitating the tray, he walked up to his bedroom and grinned when he saw his wife, still sleeping, but now cuddling his pillow.

Knowing she wouldn't get up without some form of encouragement, he began to pepper her face with light kisses, chuckling when she pushed him away groaning. She'd never been much of a morning person. He continued to kiss her, his grin widening as she moaned his name, evidently annoyed.

"James, what's gotten into you?" Lily mumbled sleepily as she desperately tried to push him away, acting as though she had forgotten the date.

James stroked her hair, "It's Valentine's Day, baby,"

Lily opened her eyes softly and James, for the umpteenth time, was struck speechless by their beauty, "I know," Lily grinned cheekily and then kissed him on the cheek, "Happy Valentine's Day."

She moved to brush her teeth, and when she came back, she gasped as she saw the tray on her bed and James next to it, holding an orchid in his hand, "I love you, Lily."

Lily sighed softly, wondering how she had snagged a man who was so undoubtedly perfect, "I love you too."

She leaned in to kiss him, a small gentle kiss on his lips, her hands cupping his face and she let out a breathy moan when he ran his tongue along her bottom lip seeking entrance, which she allowed without even needing to think. Their tongues danced with each other to the rhythm of their hearts.

Climbing on to him, Lily pushed her husband down and she sighed softly as he began to unbutton her top, deepening the kiss even further and the breakfast lay on the side, forgotten.

* * *

Tonks grinned as she woke up. Stretching, she threw off her blankets and jumped out of bed, casting the curtains aside with fervour and closed her eyes as she let what little sun there was, warm her face.

She showered hurriedly, using her favourite lemon and grapefruit body wash and citrus infused shampoo before bounding out of her bathroom and opening her wardrobe dramatically before sighing.

Even though she had tons of clothes (she was a self-confessed shopaholic), she found that she had nothing, absolutely _nothing_ to wear for her date with Remus that day.

Her eyes very critically raked over all the clothes a few times before she decided to wear her favourite baby blue dress with a deep neck and a very cute slightly frilly skirt that had been decorated with white eyelet lace. She slipped on her white wedges, some pearl studs and then scrunched up her face as she willed her pink hair to lighten just a bit and grow longer so it just passed her breasts. She swept it up in a high pony and added a bit of eyeliner. No need for mascara, she thought to herself as she willed her eyelashes to grow longer and she grinned as they curled upwards. She left her eye colour to what it had been the day before, a deep brown colour with amber speckles, which went splendidly with her outfit.

She then rushed downstairs. He had told her to have breakfast and that he would be around to pick her up at about twelve thirty (she wanted him to meet her parents).

As Tonks ran down, her mind was working as fast as her legs. She remembered the way she had gone through boys in Hogwarts. Because of her lineage (at least on her mother's side) and good looks, she had been possibly the most popular Hufflepuff girl (much to the dismay of her father). She was also noticeably smart and didn't hold too much reckoning for the rules, which the boys obviously liked.

Remus was different from everyone she had dated, however, because for starters, she had fallen in love with him before he had even agreed to be in a relationship with her. He was incredibly smart and very shy, but he had his moments and he could be as charming as James or as devilish as Sirius. Remus was also a lot of fun to be around and to talk to; he had a dry, sarcastic, witty sense of humour, but also was very good with slapstick comedy and never failed to make her laugh. He respected her and he loved her. He also made her feel protected and safe, which she reflected she'd need when another war started.

And it would, Tonks could feel it. It had been that way last time and then she had just been a child, but she could still remember all the headlines in the Daily Prophet talking about deaths and disappearances all the time.

She shook the thoughts out of her head as she began humming 'Do the Goblin' by the Weird Sisters and poured herself some Wheat Wyverns (her favourite cereal) into a bowl. She added milk, still humming, making her mother and her father look at her in shock.

Ted Tonks grinned up at his daughter, "How is it that you're up at such an early hour, love?"

"It's nine thirty, Daddy,"

"Exactly. And from what I remember my little Nymph wouldn't wake up so early on a day that she's taken off work."

"Don't call me Nymph, Daddy," Tonks frowned at her father.

"I can't understand why you don't like that name," Andromeda Tonks sighed, but Tonks knew she was making fun, for her eyes were shining with mirth.

"Oh, hush, Mother," Tonks chastised. She ate her breakfast, looking at the clock every two minutes, drowning out her parents' teasing.

She then rushed up, checking her reflection in the mirror, wrote a note to Aurora and sent it off and then clambered downstairs (tripping twice) and turned on the TV impatiently.

Twelve thirty finally dawned and the bell rang. Ted rushed to get it and Tonks smiled widely as Remus Lupin stood on the other side, wearing dark grey robes that clung to his lean body. She licked her lips slightly as his eyes twinkled at her before he smiled and greeted her father.

They had met before, of course, informally when Sirius had graduated and then, whenever Andromeda and Ted managed to attend the Order meetings. But this was different, something more formal.

After the 'introductions' had been made and Ted Tonks had threatened Remus ("you hurt my baby girl, I'll chop off your manhood with a serrated knife and feed it to you."), to the extent that he deemed sufficient, Tonks had ushered Remus out of the door.

Andromeda and Ted (well more so the latter) had insisted that she be home by eleven thirty that night, to which Tonks had protested ("I'm not at Hogwarts anymore, Daddy"), but Remus, being the perfect gentleman, had promised she would. After that, Tonks had led him away hurriedly, butterflies swarming her belly the whole while.

Remus grinned at her after they were a short distance away from her parent's house, "You look beautiful."

Tonks melted, "Thank you," she said blushing as she leaned up to kiss him, "Happy Valentine's Day,"

Remus nodded, "Happy Valentine's Day. You ready to see what I've got planned?"

She nodded and Remus smiled as he Side-Apparated her to a funfair that was being held in Leeds especially for Valentine's Day.

Tonks's face lit up, "Oh, Remus, I haven't been to one of these in ages!"

Remus laughed, "I take it that you like it, then?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Then, with a long kiss, she pulled him into the line to climb into the Lover's Boat.

It was the best date she had ever had, without a doubt. He seemed to have given the whole thing a lot of thought because after they rode on some attractions (the carousel, the Water Squirter and the Ferris wheel) and won a big pink teddy bear in the Ring Toss, he bought her a late lunch -she wanted hot dogs and they ate as they strolled along the park talking absentmindedly.

She grinned. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had so much fun, and as she leaned in to tell him so, she moaned as he captured her lips in a deep, passionate kiss, "How about we continue this date at your place?" Tonks asked coyly.

Remus's eyes widened, "Y-you mean you want to..." He trailed off as she nodded, "Are you sure? I don't want to make you mmfph-"

She cut him off with another kiss and he smiled bemusedly as they broke apart, whispering, "Let's go then."

Tonks grinned as they Apparated again. Today had been the best day she had ever had and as he led her into his flat, she knew that it was going to get better, _much better._

* * *

Harry sighed as he opened his Potions book. _What a way to spend Valentine's Day, _he thought dryly. He had made a lot of plans so he and Ginny could spend their time together in Hogsmeade, but Angelina had called a last minute Quidditch practice because all of the substitutes that she had managed to find were "a little short of pathetic, except Ginny, she's the only bloody hope I have," or so Angelina had told him yesterday when she had stomped in to the Gryffindor Common Room with a deep-set frown, glared at Harry, Fred and George and had slumped onto the floor next to Hermione, who had given her a much needed hug.

Now Harry was going with Hermione, who had managed to get in touch with Rita Skeeter and had called her to the Hog's Head so that she could interview Harry about what had really happened last June. Harry really hadn't been very enthusiastic about meeting the reporter again, and he couldn't imagine how Hermione had conned her into doing something like this. Harry grinned wryly, telling the truth must be a painful concept for Skeeter, so he had agreed. He also wanted to tell the Wizarding World what had happened, so more people would see sense. It was to be published in _The Quibbler. _Harry smiled, he bet Luna was thrilled.

Hermione tapped him on the shoulder and snapped him out of his thoughts, "Shall we go?"

Harry grinned up at her. Both of them had dressed casually, Hermione wearing a purple cashmere sweater and black jeans and he wearing a white shirt with light blue jeans, "Yes, we shall. Where's Nev and Ali?"

"Oh, they went ahead with Luna."

Harry nodded and they set off to Hogsmeade. Surprisingly, it was more enjoyable than Harry expected. After meeting Rita Skeeter, they'd headed to the Three Broomsticks, where Neville, Allisa, Luna, Fred and George were waiting for them. They ordered Butterbeers, went to Honeydukes and Zonkos (which Hermione was not at all happy about) and then headed back to Hogwarts.

When they reached the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry grinned when he saw Hedwig waiting for him with a letter tied to her leg. He'd sent James a letter, _very _late last night asking him for ideas as his own plans got cancelled for Valentine's Day.

He untied the letter quickly and his smile widened as he read it.

**Dear Harry,**

**When I got your letter, I wondered what the matter was. I mean it's not every day you get a letter from your child at two in the morning. Then when I saw it was a Valentine's Day crisis, I burst out laughing and woke your mother up. She thought you were enchantingly cute and so charming -her words, not mine. Well, young Prongslet, I'm proud of you. **

**I have a few ideas. Dobby hasn't much to do at Grimmauld Place, seeing as Sirius is always here (I'm not complaining, just saying), so you could call him there and ask him to prepare a meal for you and then take her out on a picnic. You have the Map and the Cloak, so you wouldn't have to worry about Umbitch (here your mother thinks I'm being irresponsible because I'm using offensive language and encouraging you to break the rules, but seeing as I took **_**her**_** on a moonlight picnic once and she didn't complain, I figure she isn't **_**too**_** mad). There's this amazing little clearing by the Black Lake which is completely enclosed and is very, **_**very **_**ideal for a Valentine's Day dinner. **

**Another thing you could do is go to the Room of Requirement and just picture what you want there and it'll appear. It's less work if you're going to do things last minute. (Trust me, I'd know. When I did something stupid (which happened quite often), I took your mum there and she'd melt).**

**There are some unused rooms in the castle too, so go occupy one of them (and by this I don't mean do **_**that**_**, because whereas I'm all for you getting some action, I'd rather you wait for a LONG, LONG time, I think I'm too young to be a grandpa).**

_**Harry, this is your mother, DON'T YOU DARE DO ANYTHING YOU SHOULDN'T BE DOING, BECAUSE OTHERWISE I WILL MURDER BOTH YOU AND YOUR FATHER -your father for suggesting something so inanely ridiculous and you for being stupid enough to listen to his advice.**_

**She's a bit worried about you, Harry and she's been rather temperamental these days, so don't do anything she wouldn't do. Go there and organize a nice dinner with her favourite things and take some flowers with you.**

**You could also go on a romantic broom ride (your dirty, hormonal, teenage mind is definitely going to take this the wrong way). The only problem is, of course, you don't have a broom. You could borrow someone's, though.**

**Well I think those are sufficiently helpful and embarrassing at the same time. Good luck! I'll see you next weekend, Bud.**

**Have fun (but not **_**too **_**much).**

**Love,**

**Dad and Mum.**

Harry blushed and rolled the letter back up. A moonlight picnic sounded like a wonderful idea. He hurriedly scrawled back a reply, borrowing some parchment and a quill from Hermione, told his friends he'd see them later and rushed out of the Common Room, laughing internally at the bewildered expressions on his friends' faces.

* * *

Ginny sighed softly as she showered. After Quidditch practice, she'd received an owl from Harry to be ready by seven o'clock. Wondering what he could have planned, she'd taken the time to pick out her clothes, before hurrying into the shower at five-thirty.

Their first Valentine's Day and she could hardly wait. There was something she desperately needed to tell him and it was something that she had figured a few days before as she watched him instruct one of their DA meetings. She loved him. Wholly and unconditionally. She knew that she was considered too young to know what it meant, but she couldn't imagine herself being with anyone else. In fact it _hurt _to even think of not being with him. She smiled.

Turning off the shower, she rushed out and lathered her strawberry cream on, all over her body. She donned a dull moss green pleated skirt and a nude tank top, followed by a black capped sleeve cardigan. She put on the earrings he had given her for Christmas and a pair of black ballet flats.

She added a bit of makeup and then headed downstairs to the Common Room where she found Harry waiting for her.

He was wearing a white shirt with blue jeans and looked so casually sexy that Ginny had to bite her lip to hold back a sigh. She walked forward and grinned as Harry's eyes raked over her and he gulped. She kissed his cheek, "Happy Valentine's Day, Harry."

Harry smiled, "Happy Valentine's Day, Ginny."

He handed her a calla lily, because they were her favourite, and led her out into the grounds, near the Black Lake. They slipped past tall trees and he led her into the clearing James had told him about.

The sky was darkening and the sun had set, so streaks of dark red meshed with the blue and a dark purple was formed. Small stars were just about visible, and as Ginny looked around, she saw little fireflies all over their picnic spot. The lake was reflecting the sky and Ginny could just about see the Giant Squid with its tentacles waving lazily every few minutes. There were flowers Ginny had never seen before. Purple ones with light pink details on the petals, orange ones with so many petals that Ginny lost count after thirty-five. It was one of the most beautiful places she'd ever seen. Smiling, she watched Harry put down a red and white chequered blanket on the floor and take the Cloak off a small wicker basket. She laughed as he winked at her whilst lighting a few candles, Vanilla scented, she realised, which were set up next to a blue vase full of white roses.

"How on Earth did you find this place?"

Harry smiled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "I had someone help me. It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Ginny hummed in agreement, "Very. Thank you,"

Harry pulled her so she was sitting down next to him, "For what, Ginny?"

"For being so wonderful," Ginny sighed as she cuddled into him.

And before Harry could stop himself, "It's the least I could do, Ginny. I-I love you."

Ginny looked up at him surprised, "W-what?"

Harry sighed as he looked at her, "I love you. I love everything about you. The way you curl your hair around your finger when you're nervous or sleepy, the way you can get me to do _anything_, like tell my parents about the Blood Quill; the way you never hesitate to take care of anyone who needs it, how you're always so forgiving and at the same time, fiercely protective. Merlin, Ginny, you're perfect. You're smart and funny, kind and _so_ bloody beautiful. Your silky hair and your big chocolate brown eyes that I feel like I'm drowning in, the way you blush when you get complimented. How you don't judge people and just accept them, how you're always there for me and for everyone else you care for. I love how you're bossy and have a terrible temper, and the way you're so strong and powerful, yet vulnerable at the same time. I don't think I could ever feel the same way about another girl again, Ginny. When I think of my future, I always envision it with you there, and it's so hard to imagine my life without you."

Ginny bit her lip as she blinked back tears, "Oh Harry...I-I love you too."

"Really?" Harry asked surprised.

"Really," Ginny smiled slightly as his lips descended on hers. He really couldn't have made her day any better.

They spent the rest of their evening talking about what they had done during the day. Ginny narrated the terrible Quidditch practice that she'd had and Harry winced as he heard it. He didn't think that Gryffindor had a very good chance of winning if a Beater could knock himself out.

Harry then told her about Rita Skeeter, and although Ginny seemed very surprised that Hermione was alright going near that 'horrid bat' again, she was glad that Harry had gotten a chance to tell his side of the story.

As the sky got even darker, and the stars started blinking at them, Harry took out their dinner. Ginny looked at him, awed, wondering how he'd managed to obtain chicken and sweetcorn soup (which had been brought in a non-spilling cauldron with a warming charm placed on it), some baguette and a variety of sausages. For dessert, he'd gotten hot chocolate with marshmallows and chocolate chip cookies.

As he leaned down to kiss her, just before they headed inside, Ginny was certain, without any doubts whatsoever, that she would never find someone so perfect for her ever again.

**A/N: Wasn't that an awww-worthy moment? I hope it was. Like I said...LOVED writing this chapter and I edited and re-edited and re-edited till I thought it was perfect. I haven't included a Ron/Hermione moment because they have no budding romance...or at least not to an extent that is mentionable. **

**On to recommendations now:**

**1. **_Tripping Down the Aisle _**by**_ bluebottlebutterfly: James and Lily have decided to make it official. But between the Order, Gideon Prewett, and the fact that they can't agree on anything; that aisle looks pretty far away...with Jealous!James, Frazzled!Lily, Flirty!Sirius, Traitor!Peter, and that inevitable._

**An absolute must read for the James/Lily fans. It's so so sweet.**

**2. **_Love, Me _**by**_ xXxVioletSkyxXx: Drabbles of letters througout the three time periods, from all different characters; written from me to you. _

**A very original, creative idea. I absolutely love it and she updates virtually everyday. The must read chapters (my favourite letters) are the ones to GreenEyes because they just couldn't be sweeter or more perfect!**

**3.**_ Kiss _**by**_ HalfASlug: The trio's friendship hangs in the balance when one of them makes an unexpected move on another. Trio friendship fluff._

**Romione. Completely hilarious, very unpredictable, very original. A perfect oneshot.**

**I'd like to say thank you so very much to everyone who's been reviewing or PM-ing me. It's great for inspiration. Also everyone who adds this story to their alerts or favourites; you make me smile each and every time!**

**To my beta GinnyGuerra, thank you for all of your support and your patience because I swear I make the same mistakes every time. **

**Now, on to your thoughts for this chapter. How was it? Did you like it? What is your favourite pairing? Who would you like to see more of? Let me know! Reviews get teasers as always! Next few chapters and then the real action begins, I can't waaait :D**

**Have a lovely week!**

**Love,**

**Ishani**


	47. Chapter 47:Dreams and Disasters

**A/N: Over 500 reviews! You guys are the BEST :D I seriously love you ALL something wicked. Anyway, sorry for the hugely late update, but both my Beta and I were very very busy. I have exams now in 13 days so I may not be able to write too much and I'll be busy till Nov 10th because I'm taking the DELE B1 exam. So if I don't update, I'm studying. I'd like to dedicate this chapter to everyone who has reviewed this story so far! You guys inspire me more than you'll ever know! :) More notices at the bottom, but for now, happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not JKR and therefore, I don't own Harry Potter. **

Chapter 47: Dreams and Disasters

Weeks started speeding by after Valentine's Day, but once again, they didn't exactly bring good news.

The Quidditch match against Hufflepuff was the first one that the Gryffindor team had attempted without Harry, Fred and George, and it was nothing short of a disaster. Luckily Ginny managed to snag the Snitch just in time so Gryffindor only lost by ten points. This had still depressed Gryffindor House, seeing as they had _never _lost to that house (other than the time Harry almost got Kissed by the Dementors in his Third Year, but no one really remembered that). Fred and George were practically crying and Harry had screamed himself hoarse. Oh, the_ shame._

To make matters more awkward and a lot worse, Hermione had started to get more antsy and even more studious (and everyone thought that that would be impossible) to a point where she had terrible dark circles and looked pasty, much to the worry of her friends. Added to her frightful appearance, she was also more crabby and less patient, which meant that when she was helping Ron with his work and he didn't understand something, or he showed up late, it would often result in loud shouting matches that would go on for absolutely _ever_ and usually Harry, Ginny _and_ Alissa had to go and break their fight off.

Those fights were both a nuisance and a source of entertainment (the former for the other fifth and seventh years and the latter for everyone else) because they were horribly loud and very distracting, and so much, so that the whole Common Room would fall silent when they started and just watch them with some people muttering 'oh here they go again.'

The day after the fight was the worst because they'd be giving each other the silent treatment, which meant it would be awkward and annoying for Harry as he would be stuck in the middle. When Harry told his parents about this, James had just told him that that was their way of expressing their feelings towards each other. Harry had scoffed; it was obvious to everyone in Hogwarts that they fancied each other more than just a tiny bit, and when he replied, he told his father that he'd rather they didn't show their _affections _so openly, in whatever way. The kissing, no doubt, would make him nauseous, and the arguments gave him a headache.

On the bright side, however, the article in _The Quibbler_ had done so well that Luna's father had to re-print again and again. It had also proved so popular that Harry had also started getting a lot of mail, much to his surprise and Umbridge's aversion. They were a mixture; some saying that he was still a 'barmy old plonker who had absolutely no idea what he was on about' (in the words of a wizard called Yancy Lords-Ron and Harry had almost cracked a rib whilst laughing at his name before promptly using their wands to set it on fire). Umbridge had obviously been beyond furious and had asked him why he was getting so much mail and when he told her what had happen, she turned a horrid puce colour, the vein in her temple bulging something quite lethal, and then, without any delay, she confiscated the magazine from him and posted a Decree banning _The Quibbler. _Not that this meant anyone listened, now most students transfigured the cover into something else or were using some tricky but very useful charms that Hermione had found in a book called _The Deceiver's Handbook: the fool-proof manual to getting away with stuff, _which James, Remus and Sirius had given her after they had found out that she had been behind the whole DA idea.

Occlumency was progressing well, but on the nights where Harry was most exhausted, he often found that he had nightmares again. The one with the corridor kept recurring, but the one that alarmed Harry the most was the one where he could see through Voldemort's eyes. Rookwood had been asking Voldemort for forgiveness as he had been given the wrong information; because, apparently, Avery had told Voldemort that Bode would be able to rectify the situation, but Rookwood had disagreed as Bode had been able to fight the Imperius curse Malfoy had cast on him. Avery was then punished with the Cruciatus Curse and Harry woke up drenched in cold sweat as he saw Voldemort in the mirror. He discussed this with his parents and grandmother, who told him that Bode had been in St Mungo's around the same time as Mr Weasley. This didn't make Harry feel any better, so he had taken his mother's advice and gone to Snape to ask him what he should do; the conversation took place in one of his Occlumency lessons and had gone somewhat like this...

_Harry sat down on the chair breathing heavily. His head was throbbing lightly, but he had successfully managed to repel Snape's prying mind from his own without too much difficulty. _

"_Not bad at all, Potter, you're progressing well," Snape commented._

_Harry shook his head, "I'm still having dreams about Voldemort."_

_Snape eyed him worriedly, "And what happened in this dream?"_

_He recounted the happenings of the dream and Snape paled slightly. _

"_It seems," Snape said slowly, "That the Dark Lord is still able to tackle your mind's defences when they are weak, which means that we should probably practice a bit more. Make sure you relax your mind before bed, Potter."_

_Harry nodded._

"_You're grasping the skill isn't... As bad as I expected it to be, so if you are able to master the art of repelling, we might be able to move on so you can easily be aware when someone is penetrating your mind. I might also be able to teach you how to plant false memories, but that is very advanced."_

"_Could you teach me Legilimency too?"_

_Snape looked at him surprised, "You want me to teach you something else as well, in addition to what you're expected to learn?"_

"_Err...yeah. I mean, yes, sir."_

"_Why?"_

"_So Voldemort and I can be on even footing, except it'll be an advantage for me because he won't know that I'm capable of the art."_

"_You seem to have given this a lot of thought."_

_Harry nodded._

"_Very well, I suppose I could spare some more of my time."_

_Harry grinned at him, "Thanks, sir!"_

"_Yes well, don't count your dragons before they've hatched, Potter. Now enough with the idle chit chat. Back to work."_

On a sort of bittersweet note, Umbridge had sacked Trelawney and was going to throw her off Hogwarts grounds, until McGonagall stepped in. Harry had never seen her looking so outraged. Her cheeks were pink; her normally sleek bun, coming slightly loose; her knuckles, white, and her lips, moving rapidly as she argued with the High Inquisitor.

"Dolores, you cannot make Sybil move out of Hogwarts!" McGonagall exclaimed.

"You _cannot _tell me what to do, Minerva! _I _am the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. I have full permission to-"

"To fire them, yes. You do not have the right to kick them out of the Hogwarts grounds. That authority still belongs to the Headmaster," Dumbledore interrupted. All the students who had gathered around to watch the spectacle this had become looked shocked, some gasped and others gave Umbridge satisfied smirks probably thinking the same thing that Harry was; _take that, you hag._

"Minerva, take Sybil back to her quarters and ask Poppy to get her a Calming Draught and maybe some tea. Dolores, although I appreciate you and Cornelius trying to weed out the less than satisfactory teachers, try doing it in a way that causes less commotion. There are students here and you are disturbing them, disrupting their lessons and study groups. You are the High Inquisitor; I trust that you do actually care about their welfare and their grades, and not the reputation of the Ministry." Dumbledore said coolly, his blue eyes a storm behind his half-moon spectacles. He turned to the students, "Off you go, children. Get to your lessons."

The crowd scattered.

Ever since then Umbridge had been on the rampage, at a rate that was worse than usual, but in all honesty, it affected nobody. All the teachers were more than satisfactory and she couldn't find much against any of them, so she started resorting to desperate measures; checking Flitwick's height, checking McGonagall for her temper and quizzing Snape on why he didn't get the DADA job he had originally applied for.

Her own lessons were so utterly dismal, that Harry thought she ought to be sacked. Harry sighed as he opened the textbook during one of her lessons, stifling a yawn and pretending to read the drivel that was written. He shook his head as he saw Hermione tapping her foot on the floor impatiently, her lips pursed, a scowl set firmly on her face as she flicked page after page, not really absorbing anything. _If she didn't like this class, _Harry thought, _how can anyone else be expected to?_

* * *

Harry swore slightly as he rushed to his Occlumency lesson that evening. He was late already and he knew Professor Snape wouldn't appreciate his tardiness.

He was right.

When he entered the Potions classroom, Snape had a large scowl on his face, "Potter, you're late."

Harry nodded, "Sorry, sir."

Snape sneered, "I have no time to listen to any apologies. Let's just get started."

He was about to raise his wand when Draco Malfoy entered in a rush, "Professor Snape, sir, they need you."

"Learn to knock Draco," Snape snapped, "What has happened?"

"Sorry, sir. Montague's not feeling too well, he turned up in that toilet and he says he needs to talk to you. Madam Pomfrey's asked for you to come down to the Hospital Wing."

Snape sighed, "Very well. Potter, wait here. We will continue your remedial Potions lesson after I return."

Harry nodded, "Yes, sir."

He watched as Snape walked out of the classroom and Malfoy opened his mouth to say something. Harry expected an insult or something degrading of that sort. Yet he watched shocked as Malfoy closed his mouth and shook his head. His cold eyes regarded Harry with a little bit of apprehension and fright. Draco then nodded slowly, "Err...S'later, Potter. Good luck with the Potions lesson."

Harry quirked an eyebrow, both surprised and amused as Malfoy practically ran out of the classroom. He looked around and it was then when the Pensive caught his eye. Letting the curiosity get the better of him, he strode towards it and dipped his head in, and his stomach lurched as he fell into the memory.

_The Great Hall had been lined with desks and he was standing right in between two of them. Pindrop silence and the only thing that could be heard was the furious scraping of quills against parchment. He looked around and saw everyone sitting with their heads bent. He bit his lip. This was clearly an exam._

_He scanned the room for Snape because he had to be there -seeing as it was his memory. Harry smiled when he saw the younger version of his professor, he really hadn't changed much. His skin was pale and pasty, his hair acting as a curtain around his face and his protruding nose just a few centimetres away from the parchment he was poring over. _

_Snape was sitting a few meters away from a blackboard that had the words '_**Ordinary Wizarding Levels: **DEFENCE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS THEORY_'_

_Harry's eyebrow quirked. That had to mean his parents were here too, along with Uncle Moony and Sirius, and it meant that they were all about his age. _

_Flitwick's voice rang out over the silence making Harry jump, "Five more minutes, children! Check your work over please!"_

_Harry turned and he grinned as he caught sight of his fifteen year-old father beaming happily, placing his quill down on his parchment. Harry was shocked; they could almost pass for identical twins apart from the eye colour and the fact that there was no scar on James's forehead._

_James twiddled his thumbs, doodled an 'L.E.' on a piece of spare parchment (Harry laughed as he realised how smitten his dad had been with his mum), sighed, rumpled his hair and then turned to look behind him at a handsome boy with straggly hair, who was -there was no other word for it- lounging in his chair. Harry grinned. Sirius winked at James, who gave him a thumbs up. They both looked to their left and rolled their eyes as they saw Remus Lupin, who looked slightly peaky, rubbing the back of his head anxiously (Harry's grin widened).There were two girls who were eyeing Sirius, and another two or three making doe eyes at James. His mother, on the other hand, was flicking through the pages of her test anxiously checking if she'd missed anything. Flitwick then announced the last minute giving them the time to rifle through their papers one last time before summoning them all towards him. Harry watched in awe as all of them rolled themselves into a scroll as Flitwick dismissed the students. _

_Harry followed the Marauders as they headed outside and he bit his lip worriedly as he saw Snape, who was scanning some papers very rapidly, as he walked behind them. _

"_So, Moony, did you like question ten?" Sirius asked._

"_Give five signs that identify the werewolf," Remus replied grinning, "It was brilliant."_

_James furrowed his brow and asked with mock-worry, "But did you get them all."_

"_I'm pretty sure I did," Remus said as they took a seat under the tree near the Black Lake with Snape lingering nearby, "One: he's sitting in my chair, two: he's has brown hair, three: he's wearing my clothes, four: his name's Remus Lupin." _

_Harry chuckled along with James and Sirius. Pettigrew then worriedly divulged that he might not have gotten all the characteristics of a werewolf, causing James and Sirius to scoff. The Marauders then began to discuss their opinions on the paper (James and Sirius thinking it was very, very easy), and Snape took a seat behind the tree opposite the one they were sitting under. James took a Snitch out of his pocket, Remus started reading and Sirius was winking at some of the girls who had taken their shoes and socks off and were dipping their feet into the water of the Black Lake. James kept playing with the Snitch and Pettigrew watched with fascination, gasping and clapping each time James let it fly a little distance away and then brought it back. _

"_Prongs, stop before Wormtail wets himself with glee and admiration," Sirius said rolling his eyes._

"_Just for you, Paddy," James replied grinning, pocketing the Snitch._

"_I'm honoured," Sirius replied dryly and then, when no one reacted, "I'm also bored. I wish it was full moon. Then we'd have something exciting to do."_

_Remus looked at him, "Sure, very interesting. We still have Transfiguration to go, you know. Why don't you study for that?"_

_Sirius scoffed, "I know all that shit already."_

_James nodded, "Look over there, Padfoot, there's something that'll cheer you up."_

_Sirius turned to look where James was pointing and Harry did too, and then a cloud of dread formed in the pit of his stomach as he watched his godfather's eyes glaze over with both humour and scorn, "Snivellus. Brilliant."_

"_Alright there Snivelly?" James called as Snape got up and started speed-walking away from the little area. Then, faster than Harry could have anticipated, Snape turned, drew his wand and was about to say an incantation when James beat him to it._

"_Expelliarmus."_

_Snape's and flew into the bushes. _

_Harry sighed as he watched the rest of the events play out: Sirius cast the Impedimenta Jinx and Snape started calling James and Sirius a pair of arrogant berks, and then said a stream of curse words which made James use a Cleaning Charm on his mouth. Lily (who had been sitting a short distance away) came running over and started defending Snape who by that time had recovered and jinxed James, then James jinxed again._

"_Leave him the bloody hell alone, Potter!" _

_James sighed and muttered the counter-jinx, "Only for you, Evans."_

_Lily scoffed and then Snape piped up, "I don't need help from filthy Mudbloods like you."_

_Lily rolled her eyes, "Or not, apparently the two of you deserve each other."_

_James glared at Snape with a venom that Harry hoped he'd never see again in his father's eyes, "Apologise to L-Evans."_

_Lily rounded on him, "Don't you make him apologise, you're just as bad as he is."_

"_WHAT?" James yelled indignantly, "I'd-I'd never call you a you-know-what."_

"_Mussing your hair up because you think you're so cool, bullying the people who are younger or the people you think are beneath you. I'm surprised your broomstick still stays upright and flies with the weight of your ego-swollen head. Merlin, Potter, you make me SICK!" And with that Lily stormed off._

_James sighed, a wistful look entering his eyes, before he seemed to remember what was happening and turned to Snape and the crowd that had appeared somewhere in the middle of Lily's shouting, "Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?"_

"_Didn't know you swung that way-"_

Harry gasped as he felt himself being pulled out of the memory and found himself face to face with the older Severus Snape. And boy, did he look livid.

"Did you find that amusing enough, Potter? Or would you like to see some more?"

"Sir-I...errr...I didn't mean to pry," Harry said shaking his head, "I-I..."

"You didn't mean to, my hippogriff's bloody back hoof. Get out of my sight Potter. This concludes our Occlumency lessons."

"But, sir!" Harry began.

"Don't make me repeat myself, Potter. Get the hell out of my office," Snape spoke in a deadly quiet tone and Harry almost gasped as he saw Snape's hollow black eyes filled with the ghosts and pains of his past.

He only nodded as he left Snape's office, his apologies and explanations caught in his throat. He silently walked, as if in a dream, back to his dormitory, ignoring his friends who had once again stayed up and waited for him. He changed into his pyjamas and then laid on his bed, squeezing his eyes shut, a multitude of thoughts running through his mind.

Harry found that his respect for his godfather and his father had decreased slightly. They hadn't had any reason to pick on Snape -they'd just done it because they were bored, and Remus hadn't even tried to stop them. He sighed. Up until now, being compared to his father had been one of the best compliments anyone could ever give him, but now he wasn't so sure. His eyes snapped open. Of course, he knew his father had changed later on, but he felt slightly ashamed. He sighed again. Snape had been right; his father had been arrogant and egoistic. Harry wasn't sure what to think. He closed his eyes, knowing that he'd have to talk to his parents and the rest of the Marauders when he went home for Easter, and with that _comforting _thought, he squeezed his eyes shut even tighter, hoping that his father hadn't been as bad all the time as Harry had just seen him be.

**A/N: Oh dear, oh dear. I didn't like writing this chapter too much and I don't think I'll like most of the next one because things are taking quite a serious turn and this and the next chapter are both fillers. **

**Anyway, I wanted to reply to a few guest reviewers:**

**_Deanna_: Haha, thank you so much! Your review made me laugh! Sirius and Aurora will get together, but they'll take their time because Sirius is an idiot and Aurora's rather shy. :P Thank you for reviewing!**

**_James_: Chapter 45- Draco's become one of my favourite characters whilst reading Fanfiction because if he had the chance or more courage, I think he really would have changed sides. So I'm sorry but he won't be dying.**

Chapter 40- Snape was always a bit of a jerk but things are going to change quite a bit in my story. He'll always be a jerk, but a more friendly one because I don't want his effort to be good to go unnoticed like it did in canon. Dumbledore trusts Snape and Lily and James trust Dumbledore. Besides, there really isn't a better person to teach Harry because Snape won't be nice just because Harry gets hurt-he'll make him work double and whilst preparing to battle Voldemort, I'd imagine that's what he needs.

**_Guest_: Haha, I hate Umbridge too! I enjoyed writing that part myself :D And it's really great you're enjoying the story, I really hope you continue to! I'm glad you liked it and thank you for your review!**

**Now for fic recs:**

**1. Observations of a Pure Blood Debutant **by** rainsrabble:** _Narcissa watching Draco watch Hermione. She draws some very startling conclusions. One Shot. Complete._

**2. Have You Ever **by** Lady Moonglow: **_With the war looking bleak, the Golden Trio, Ginny, Draco, and Lavender go back to Tom Riddle's 7th Year to destroy Lord Voldemort once and for all. What Hermione DIDN'T count on, however, is a shared common room, a curse, and a little thing called love._

**This story surprised me. I'm not normally a Tom M. Riddle/Hermione shipper and I never have been, but this story was absolutely fantastic, you should definitely, definitely go and read it!**

**3. Life and Death **by** Another Writer Who Loves:**_Life and Death have a small chat at Hogwarts._

**I just loved the way this one was written!**

**Once again a huge thank you to everyone who's reviewed or favourited or alerted this story or me! It means more than you'll know! Let me know what you thought of this chapter. As always, reviews will get teasers! So sorry for the late update once again. I'll try to update sooner next time!**

**Have a great week ahead!**

**Love,**

**Ishani**


	48. Chapter 48:Apologies and Easter

**A/N: Hola ladies and gentlemen! How are you doing? A slightly late update yes, but I'm in the middle of my exams, so bare with me. I hope you liked the last chapter, I didn't get as much feedback as I would have liked. This is a little filler and the next chapter will be more fluff, so enjoy! A few notices at the bottom, until then, happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing apart from what I've made up.**

Chapter 48: Apologies and Easter Eggs

For the next week, Harry was quiet and reserved. He withdrew from conversations, barely talked to everyone, did his homework religiously and was generally very moody. Hermione, Ron and Ginny were very worried about him, but every time they tried to talk to him, he would find some sort of excuse or would change the subject.

It was the day before they left for Potter Manor that Hermione finally managed to weasel it out of him. Ginny and Ron had gone for Quidditch Practice because Angelina thought that the Gryffindor team needed as much practice as they could get.

"Alright, Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, sighing as she plopped herself on the sofa beside him.

"Nothing,"

"Save those lies for someone who believes them. What's going on?"

Harry sighed and looked at Hermione, his best friend -well actually she was practically his sister- and judging by the fierce look in her eyes, he knew he wasn't going to be able to get away from her without telling her what had happened.

"I saw th-this memory of the Marauders."

"And why is that a bad thing?" Hermione asked.

Harry frowned as he told her about the memory and the way his father and Sirius had bullied Snape, and he was surprised when Hermione shook her head, "Harry, they were stupid and young, and foolish. You know, I for one would never condone that sort of thing, but everyone knows about the enmity between your father and Snape. It's legendary. That memory may have showed the worse side of your father, but I'm sure there are memories with Snape being the jerk and not James. Remember memories can be tweaked and tampered with. Snape saw it from his perspective. You haven't seen both sides, and from what it looks like, Snape wasn't exactly innocent. I'm not taking sides here. I'm just saying that the right thing to do, instead of brooding about it, is going back home and talking to the Marauders so you don't make this a very big deal. It's a memory, Harry, it's the past. They've all come a long way since then."

Harry contemplated all this for a second and then gave Hermione a demure smile, "You're right."

"And you find that surprising because...?" Hermione asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Harry laughed and shook his head, "Right again, I should have expected it."

Hermione hummed and then said, "You might want to tell Ginny about all this too. She's worried about you. We all were."

Harry nodded, "Yeah, I will."

"How're things between you and Gin, anyway?"

"You mean she didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what? That the two of you professed your love towards one another? Of course she did! I just want to hear your version." Hermione smiled at him.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Is there a difference?"

Hermione shook her head, "Obviously. Now spill those every-flavour beans!"

Harry half-sighed, half-laughed before launching into the tale of Valentine's Day, blushing slightly as Hermione "aww-ed" where she thought was appropriate. He shook his head as she patted his shoulder proudly, completely amused, wondering not for the first time what he'd do without his friends.

* * *

On Saturday morning, Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys took a Portkey back to Potter Manor, and James and Sirius had begged Dorea to make a huge bunch of fresh chocolate Easter eggs for the "kids" to feast on, so with the help of Lily, Dotty, Daisy and Molly (who visited the Potters quite frequently), Dorea had made plenty for everyone to have two or three a day, which was quite an accomplishment considering they were the size of dragon eggs.

As soon as they arrived, without saying a word to really anyone, Harry rushed up to his room and sighed. He had talked to Ginny right after she came back from Quidditch practice, and she had said pretty much the same thing as Hermione. So, now, Harry was trying to think of how to say what he wanted to say.

He jumped when someone knocked, "Harry? You alright?

Harry half-nodded and then looked up. He shrugged when he saw his father in the doorway, "Can I talk to you, Dad?"

James frowned at the hesitant tone that Harry used, "Of course you can Kiddo, what's the matter?"

Harry took a deep breath and was just about to start when Remus and Sirius came strolling in. "What happened to you, Prongslet? You gave all of us a very weird look as soon as you walked in."

"I have to talk to you guys."

"Oh," Sirius said with mock-worry, "Are you breaking up with us?"

"Shut up, Padfoot, he's trying to be serious." James glared at his best friend.

"Well, he can't very well do that, everyone knows I- Oh alright, I'll shut up." Sirius frowned as James's glare heightened.

"Much appreciated," Remus said, "Go on, Harry."

"Right, well, see, I was in Occlumency and then Malfoy came in and said that one of the Slytherin students had had an accident, so Snape had to go. Then I saw he Pensieve and I saw this memory of you guys after your DADA OWL-"

Remus winced, "That can't be good."

"It wasn't," Harry said shaking his head, "See, all the stories you guys told me about Snape were never like that. This time you were bullying him for no reason whatsoever! He was just sitting there minding his own business."

James sighed, "You know, Harry. You're right. You're completely right. I'm not going to try to defend our actions because we were immature gits and I was more than a little arrogant."

Sirius shrugged, "And we were young and foolish. We did things that pleased the crowd, and picking on Snape was an all-time favourite. I bet it still is! Snape was easy to pick on, Harry, and it was fun. Besides, James did it more because he thought it pissed Lily off and he just wanted a reaction, so, who the hell was I to deny him and myself of the fun?"

Remus shook his head, "We were idiots, Harry; but remember, the memory you saw was from Snape's point of view, and in that one, he may have looked innocent, but there were many, many others where he initiated it himself. I was the biggest idiot, because though I never took part in all the bullying, I never stopped them either."

Harry nodded, "Dad did keep looking at Mum. He was doodling 'LE' on his paper and he kept running his fingers through his hair."

Sirius chortled and James frowned, "They didn't need to know that, Kiddo."

Harry sighed, "I guess I was just a bit shocked. You guys are my role models and it was weird seeing you hurt someone else for the fun of it."

James nodded, "I'm sorry about that, Harry. But half-way through our sixth year, I really did smarten up and that's when the Marauders became less troublesome and more helpful. It's what made your mum and I get closer. I don't regret it because it was what I wanted to do in that moment, but I wish you hadn't seen it."

"C-could you apologise to him?"

"To Snape?" Sirius asked, trying and failing to hide the disgust in his tone.

"Yeah."

Sirius shook his head but James and Remus nodded.

Remus said, "I think this feud has gone on far too long. Besides, we sort of settled our differences in your third year," then turned to James, "but maybe it's best if you apologise too, Prongs."

James sighed, "I think I owe it to him. After what he's done for Harry. Although don't expect us to be best friends. Padfoot?"

Sirius shook his head, "I'm afraid I don't quite trust him yet."

"But will you be civil?" Harry almost pleaded.

"'Tis my middle name," Sirius said.

James rolled his eyes, "So what did Snape do after you saw the memory?"

"Threw me out of his office. Said he'd never teach me Occlumency again."

James stood up in alarm, "We can't have that. I think I'd better get to that apologising thing. And maybe some begging might be nice."

Harry sighed, "As long as the two of you don't kill each other off in the attempt."

The Marauders laughed as they led him back downstairs, two of them thinking about new beginnings with hope for the future, and the third finding it hard to let go of the past.

* * *

Hermione sighed as she drank a glass of water, rubbing her arm. They had just finished an hour and a half of training and were taking a short break, "Lily, what-what was your first proper encounter with the Death Eaters like?"

Lily looked at her and Hermione was shocked to see the ghosts of the older woman's past come alive in Lily's emerald green eyes, "Horrific. Something out of your worst nightmares." Lily winced as she remembered it.

_Lily made her way directly into a dark corner of the hall as soon as she stepped in. She didn't know what had possessed her to say yes to Potter's invitation to his family's Annual New Year's Eve Ball. She scoffed as she realised she hadn't done it by choice. Her friends, Alice Prewett, Marlene McKinnon, Mary McDonald, Emmeline Vance and Cara McCall had basically emotionally blackmailed her into saying yes. And so she had. _

_Of course she didn't hate Potter that much anymore. He'd changed quite a lot since November, and it seemed like he was beginning to mature. He didn't ask her out or annoy her too much and if she was honest, they'd become friends. And she actually did enjoy his company. So here she was in a gorgeous midnight blue gown that cinched at her waist with a rhinestone embellished belt. Of course, although the neckline at the front was very subtle, the back dipped right down leaving only two or three inches covered. The gown pooled at her feet hiding her silvery heels and her auburn hair (whose colour she normally loathed) had been curled neatly and half of it had been pinned up. Her makeup had been kept to a minimum with just some mascara, eyeliner and nude lip gloss. _

_She jumped when she heard a voice behind her, "Alright there, Ginger?"_

"_Potter! Don't do that!" Lily said, not even having to turn to recognize the voice._

"_What did I do?" James asked with an innocent expression. "C'mon, Evans, haven't you been standing here long enough? Come and dance with me."_

_Lily's eyes widened as she turned to face him, "W-what?"_

_James smiled slightly, almost frozen and completely captivated by her beauty, "You didn't come here looking so beautiful to stand in the corner."_

"_That's a nice line. Use it often?" Lily quirked an eyebrow at him. She then froze after she had heard herself speak. That sounded almost as if she had been flirting. Her tone hadn't been nearly as about snide as it should have been. _

"_Only when it's applicable and it never has been till today. Please, Lily. Come and dance," James said, looking quite intently into her eyes._

_A feeling overcame Lily and it was one she couldn't quite explain. She dropped her eyes to the floor and responded softly, "Okay."_

_James grinned and grabbed her hand. They made their way out on to the dance floor and Lily sighed as James gripped her waist firmly, the other holding her hand, and then slowly they started gliding across the dance floor. Butterflies had taken over Lily's stomach for a reason she couldn't understand. They'd only been dancing for a minute or so when all of a sudden masked figures appeared in the ballroom. _

_James swore under his breath and Lily gasped as people began to scream; spells shooting across the room making it look more beautiful than ever._

_Charlus Potter made his way to his son, fighting through the crowd, "James, get all your friends, go to the basement and Floo to Godric's Hollow. Miss Evans, I hope you were having a nice time."_

"_Dad, no, I want to fight," James argued._

_Lily watched as his father was about to respond (probably to say no) and a masked figure came up behind up, about to cast a spell. With lightening reflexes, both James and Lily yelled, "Stupefy!"_

_Charlus grimaced as James said, "See, Dad? You might actually need some more help."_

"_Alright, alright. But stay safe, James. You too, Miss Evans."_

_James nodded and grabbed Lily's hand, "Stay close to me, alright, Ginger?" _

_And for the first time, Lily didn't want to argue. They made their way through the crowd shooting Stunning and Disarming spells and followed by more complex curses, and they sighed in relief when they found Sirius and Cara duelling with two Death Eaters. _

"_Alright there, Prongs, Evans?" Sirius grinned as he fired a Jelly-Legs Curse._

_Lily nodded, "Yeah. You?"_

_Sirius's reply was cut off by a large BOOM and Lily screamed as she saw the wall near them crack and begin to shake slightly. Her feet froze and she was suddenly unable to move. The wall began to crumble and Lily gasped as she watched Sirius and Cara dive to the other side whilst James pulled her towards him in the far corner of the room and shielded her from the impact. There was the sound of muffled screams as the wall came down on a few people and then Lily found that she and James were cut off from everyone else because of the barrier the wall had created. _

_She looked at James who looked back at her, "C'mon, Ginger. Let's get out of here."_

"_Not so fast," a deadly voice said._

_Turning her face around, Lily's eyes turned into slits as she took in the smug expression on Bellatrix's face._

"_What the fuck are you doing here?" James growled._

"_I thought I'd have a bit of fun with the both of you," Bellatrix sneered. "Teach you a lesson. _Crucio!" _she shrieked, pointing her wand at James, "You're a filthy little blood traitor."_

_Lily gasped as James fell to the floor, writhing in pain, and her fist clenched tightly around her wand. She realised that he wasn't screaming and she admired the fact that he had so much restraint, "You seem to have forgotten that even Mudblood's can do magic, Lestrange. _Evertestatem!"

_Bellatrix flew in a back flip against a wall and Lily helped James up quickly, but before they had any time to plan an escape, another Death Eater soon appeared behind them._

"_Well, well, well, you certainly clean up well for a Mudblood," Rodolphus Lestrange crooned from behind them._

"_Take your ugly beady eyes off her, Lestrange. You won't get anywhere near her," James growled, turning to face him. Lily and James now stood back to back and they were turning in circles as Bellatrix and Rodolphus prowled around them; lions ready to pounce on their prey._

_Obviously tired of snide banter, Bellatrix raised her wand and shot a jet of blue light towards Lily, which was deflected with a Shield charm. Angered, Bellatrix shot spell after spell, annoyed that Lily was almost as good as her whilst duelling. Losing her patience, Bellatrix shot a Killing Curse in Lily's direction._

_Lily bit her lip as she saw the green light coming her way. She ducked and pulled James down with her. Rodolphus, who had just cast a nasty spell towards James, ducked as well and the Killing Curse hit a wall. Lily shot the Stinging Hex and Bellatrix and James swore as Rodolphus disappeared in a cloud of black smoke only to appear next to his wife who was clutching her eye and groaning._

_Rodolphus glared at them both, "Next time we meet, you'll die." And then he left with Bellatrix leaving behind a swirl of black cloud._

_Lily turned to look at James, who had a cut near his right eye, a gash on his left cheek and several burns on his neck, his shirt was torn and one of the tears let Lily see a patch of blood where one of Rodolphus's hexes had slashed him. She bit her lip worriedly when he winced as he closed the distance between them. His hazel eyes glinted with anger and fatigue, and Lily found herself gazing into them. She'd definitely been impressed by the way he had handled himself and fought against Rodolphus, and winning was quite a feat as the Lestranges were known for their ruthlessness and their love for the Unforgivables. _

_James sighed, "You alright, Ginger?"_

_Lily nodded shakily, "I'm fine, l-let's just go and find the others."_

Lily sighed as she snapped herself back to the present, "That's why we're insisting on this training. We want you to be fully prepared just in case something happens. And I have a feeling it will."

Hermione rubbed her forehead worriedly, "I hope it's not as bad last time."

Aurora shook her head, "Oh no, sweetheart, something tells me that it's going to be a lot worse."

* * *

After training, everyone went to their respective rooms to get cleaned up -Aurora and Tonks taking one of the many guest ones, and the others using the rooms they had used before.

Lily sighed softly rubbing her temples as she sank into bed. James came in a second later and frowned as he saw her, "You alright there, Lil?"

Lily sat up and bit her lip, "I'm so worried, Jamie."

James sighed as he sat down next to her, wrapping his arms around her as if he wanted to protect her from everything, "Me too, love. It seems oddly like déjà-vu, doesn't it? All of this happened before. The quiet even though we knew he was out there, the uselessness of the Ministry, and all of us being worried."

Lily nodded, "It's just that there are more people this time who are willing to fight. Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Ginny, Harry and Neville are all so young, but they know already that they're going to fight and they'll probably chew off our heads if we don't let them."

"They've been through a lot already. I don't think we give them enough credit. With the DA, we have even more of a chance," James sighed, "But..."

"They're all kids," Lily finished for him as he trailed off.

James kissed her forehead, "I won't fail you this time, Lily. I'll make sure we're all better protected. I'll make them all train harder and more so that they're stronger. So that less people will die."

Lily cupped her husband's face, "Oh James, I don't blame you at all! You know that! We all tried so hard to keep each other safe. We even kept the secret from Remus. Who could have known that Pettigrew was a traitor? We're-we're more prepared this time, Jamie, more experienced."

James' face darkened, "So are they."

Lily bit her lip, her green eyes a cloud of uncertainty and fear, "Tell me everything's going to be okay, Jamie. It's our baby boy everyone's relying on."

James kissed her tenderly, "We'll be fine Lily, and everything's going to be alright."

Lily cuddled closer to him, once again feeling like she was seventeen-scared and naive. But this time, she was more afraid for her kids and for the kids of her friends who had never experienced such a war. Aurora had been right, this war was bound to be a lot worse, with both sides recruiting members, there would be more fighters, more killers, more deaths and more martyrs. She thought back to everyone who had died in the war: Dorcas, Marly, Charlus, Cara, Fabian and Gideon and her own parents and swore that this time she'd try to, as much as possible, prevent deaths from happening. Especially, she thought as James stroked her hair gently, seeing as she had so much worth fighting for.

* * *

The rest of their weekend pretty much flew by. With the couples spending time with each other and the others reading (Hermione and Aurora), eating (Ron and Sirius) and inventing (Fred and George), so they were are quite glad that they had the rest of the week off as well, especially Hermione, who had been so absorbed in the Potter Library and hadn't done any revision.

James however, was going on an unpleasant mission with his son to apologise to his childhood rival because he wanted to do it whilst he still felt guilt.

Lily (whom James had told all about the Harry-seeing-Snape's-memory-problem) kissed her husband on the cheek and wished him good luck. She knew that it was going to be horribly difficult for him to swallow his pride and apologise, and the fact that he was doing it for their son made her heart swell even more. She was going to make sure that he'd be awarded in a very nice way when he got home.

They Flooed to Dumbledore's office and then Harry and James made their way to the dungeons where Snape's office was situated. James sighed as he remembered the numerous times the Marauders (normally with him as the leader) would taunt Snive-Snape just for the sake of it. Of course there were times when the prat had really asked for it. It had always pissed James off when Snape walked around with Lily, or talked to Lily...Or even looked at her, and towards the end, the way Snape just casted her aside and called her a Mudblood had really been the last straw.

But times had changed now. Snape was on their side and he'd been protecting his son. Dumbledore had told James it was to repay the debt, but whatever it was, James knew he owed Snape both a thank you and an apology, and as a Gryffindor, he really wasn't going to shy away from such a frightening responsibility.

Harry sighed as he knocked on his Potions Professor's door.

"Enter."

James nudged his son in slightly and took in his childhood enemy's appearance -it really hadn't changed much. Same oily hair, same pale skin, same placid expression and the same hollow eyes. It was pitiful. For a second, James almost wanted to call him Snivellus and ask why he hadn't yet found a charm or shampoo that got rid of the oily hair. But then that would have really defeated the purpose of the whole visit.

"_Both _of you are here?" Snape asked with a horrible sneer, "Well, I'm honoured, really. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

James bit back a nasty retort and replied with a diplomatic smile, "Snape, we're not here to argue or to piss you off. Err...we come in peace."

"Enlighten me," Snape said dryly, half afraid that James Potter was actually going to step up and be the bigger person because helping his child meant that Snape would have something to hold over him. But life obviously had other ideas.

"I want to apologise. I know I was a jackass when we were at school, and I know that, a lot of times, my friends and I picked on you without really having a reason and I'm sorry. We're not in school anymore and shit happens, right? We need to move on because we're here and we're on the same side, fighting against a common enemy, so, if that can't bring us together, what can?" James chuckled humourlessly.

"What sort of reward do you get for this? Did _she _put you up to it?" Snape asked glaring at him.

"If by she you mean Lily, then no. I-I took the initiative. I was wrong and I'm sorry. Whether or not you choose to forgive me is your business. We made a lot of mistakes when we were younger. _All _of us, and I think you might know that more than anyone, but everyone's given you a second chance, and if you aren't going to give me one, well, that's your prerogative. Merlin knows we could never be the best of friends. I'm just asking that we have some sort of understanding because we're not kids anymore. I'm very sorry for the way I treated you, and I won't ever do it again."

Snape nodded, "I forgive you."

Harry's eyes widened and James snorted, "You don't mean that and I didn't expect you to. But I said what I wanted to say, the rest is on your shoulders. Stop living in the past, Severus Snape, right now, we're supposed to be worrying about our future. Look, if you can't forgive me, let's at least be civil. I think we're too old to be taunting each other at Order meetings."

Snape nodded stiffly, "Fine."

"Thank you," James replied, and he turned to leave along with his son.

"Potter," Snape's voice called out as they almost left the room and he winced when they both turned, "Your Occlumency lessons will start again on Wednesday evening as soon as the term resumes. Try not to get a detention that'll come in the way of it."

James nodded his thanks and left the room, and Harry did the same, grinning to himself. James Potter and Severus Snape had just had a conversation that involved no taunts. And even after everything that had happened to him so far, he found if weird that life continued to surprise him.

**A/N: Well, how about that then, eh? I liked writing the last part. I always thought that James owes a lot to Snape for protecting the Potters, even if it was his fault they were endangered in the first place.**

**I'd like to reply to a reviewer who's disabled his PM feature, although I very much doubt that he's still reading my story:**

Cartman1701: **I'm very sorry that you feel that way. Whilst I appreciate your anger on behalf of the characters, I think you could have 1) phrased that in a nicer way and 2) given me some constructive criticism as well. See, although you may disagree with James and Lily's reaction (and I don't necessarily agree with it either) along with many of my readers, but the way they behaved in Chapter 4 had reasons. They were specifically told by Dumbledore not to see Harry, not to be in contact with Harry until they were sure everything was safe for him. Just because Voldemort had died, didn't mean that it was safe for Harry to live with his parents. Death Eaters who may or may not have known about the prophecy may have come after him as not all of them had been rounded up. Furthermore, James and Lily were both slightly unstable at that moment because they had just died and James' father had died too. Therefore they may not have been fully capable. Yes, I agree that they shouldn't have kept Harry with the Dursleys for so long, but they did it for a reason and however stupid you may find it, they did it and it's not going to change. This response may seem harsh, but I think I was a lot kinder than the review you left me. Whether or not I've been abused is absolutely none of your business and I'd like to inform you that no, I'm not a parent as I'm only 15. Thank you so much for attempting to read my story and thank you for airing your views. I wish you'd give the story a chance, but judging from your feedback, I don't really think that's going to happen. Thanks anyway.**

**To all the other reviewers/favouriters: Thank you so much for all your support! It really makes my day :)**

**Some fanfic recommendations now:**

**1. Troublesome Tails** _by_ **A Trail Of Whispers: **_James and Lily did not die on Halloween so they were alive to support Harry and give him the stable home that he needs. So read as he goes through Hogwarts with his parents by his side and a younger brother too. And how Sirius' life changed when he met Annie Crouch, how they had two children together and the lengths Remus Lupin would go too to protect his motherless daughter..._

**This story is one of my current favourites. It's full of drama, suspense, romance and cliffhangers. It has a completely different plot and it's absolutely full of intrigue! It has a ton of good description and quite a lot of action! Definitely a must read, so go read it and then review many, many times to let the author know how awesome she is!**_  
_

**2. All Right, Evans?** _by _**CokeBottleK:** _"The thing about being Lily Evans and James Potter was that you couldn't do anything without everybody else saying something about it." - Sixth year; rivalries, pranks, war, and the continued quest to win L.E.'s heart. Part One of eventual three-part series. Read & review if you'd like. DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything of the Harry Potter universe._

**This story is incredible! I love the way the author's writing it and she always updates regularly too which is a real treat and her chapters are humongously long and she focuses completely on Lily and James which makes it even more brilliant! Excellent story line with loads of fluff and action.**

**3. A Call to Arms** _by _**My Dear Professor McGonagall:** _What happened at Hogwarts when the Boy Who Lived disappeared?_

**Another one of my favourites at the moment, simply because it's so imaginative and creative. Another must read!**

**And one more recommendation this time because there are just TOO many amazing stories out there:**

**4. Until The Very End** _by_ **Paralove: **_The story of Lily and James; From becoming newly-weds, until the very end.._

**It's absolutely brilliant! Go, go, go read it!**

**Alright, now a final message to end the chapter. My exams get over on Wednesday after which I have a 26 day holiday (yes, I know, I love my college for this and this only :P). Now on the 9th and 10th of November I have my DELE B1 exam which means that I'll be really busy preparing for it and I also have tons of projects to do, but I will find time between my studying to get the next few chapters done so you may have more regular updates. Then fom the 11th to the 18th, I'm going on a holiday, and I most probably won't be taking my laptop. Then when I'm back on the 18th, I will try to write some more in the time I have and hopefully you'll get some updates then as well!**

**Let me know what you thought of this chapter! Reviews get teasers as always :) Thank you so much once again for all your support and thank you for reading!**

**Have a wonderful week!**

**Love,**

**Ishani**


	49. Chapter 49:Easter Break and Visions

**A/N: Hello, all you wonderful people! I am back from the Andamans and I really wish I wasn't. :P It's beautiful there! I'll tell you more about my little trip at the bottom. So this chapter has a mix of everything really. It took me a while to perfect it. Cheers to my Beta, Amelie, who I truly couldn't do without. A massively ginormous thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review or favourite my story. It means everything and more.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise. **

Chapter 49: Easter Break and Visions.

Ginny sighed as she, Fred, George and Ron returned to the Burrow. Molly and Arthur had insisted that they spend some time at home because as much as they loved the Potters, the Weasleys needed their own time too, or so Molly said, much to Ginny's dismay, as she had been looking forward to spending more time with Harry. However, she couldn't hide the immense joy she felt when she entered her room with a sense of nostalgia as she realised that she actually had missed The Burrow.

She grinned as she dropped off her bags and ran downstairs to help her mother in the kitchen. It had been a tradition for as long as she could remember. Whenever the whole family had lunches or dinners together, Ginny would go and help in the kitchen. When she was younger, she was only allowed to watch of course but as she got older, Molly would let her do certain things like stir the pot instead of doing it by magic or peel carrots. There was something soothing about it and she grinned when her mother beckoned her inside.

"Hey, Mum." Ginny smiled, "What should I do?"

Molly shook her head, "There's nothing for you to do, sweetheart, but we haven't talked in a very long time. I know you've been having Inferno lessons with Lily. Would you like to tell me about them?"

Ginny nodded, "Sure. Oh Mum, they're so interesting. I mean Hogwarts itself has so much to teach me, but with Lily it goes above and beyond anything I've ever imagined. I can dissect everything people feel into separate emotions and find out the core reason behind all of them. I feel so powerful, Ma, and it's just so invigorating."

"Well, it certainly sounds like it. What do you do in your lessons?"

"Lily made me start with the basics. We started off with Empathy, where I can feel and control people's emotions. It was rather difficult, and first Lily made me read quite a bit so I could understand exactly what I was trying to do. Infernos and Empaths have heightened senses, so I can feel and be aware of more things than your average witch. I had to learn how to separate the other people's emotions from my own and harness or awaken the empathic powers that I had. I can also do healing magic, but we haven't really gotten around to that. I'm also clairvoyant, but getting visions is very rare, and understanding them apparently is a very big chore. I can also mind-read but it's quite hard to do. I've learned how to mind-block which is what Occlumency is basically. I've learned a lot about myself, Mum, and I've also learned that I can be of so much help when war breaks out."

Molly eyed her daughter, he youngest child who seemed to have grown up a lot quicker since her first year at Hogwarts and found herself voicing her worries, "Ginny, sweetheart, if it does, and Dumbledore has a rough idea when it might, you'll be too young-"

"Mum, they're targeting Harry and everyone else I care about. I can't-I can't sit idle when— especially when I know there's _something _I can do about it. Especially when it's Harry. I love him, Mum."

Molly smiled, "Yes, I know. You did tell me in your letter that you told each other. I'm happy for you Ginny. I just wish you'd all stop growing up so fast."

Ginny bit back a smile and ran forward to hug her mother, "We're all still your babies, Mummy. I love you."

Molly sniffed as she put down her wand and the spoon that she was stirring continued on its own. She wrapped her arms around her youngest daughter and kissed her forehead, "I love you too, my little fireball."

* * *

_Dearest Harry,_

_I miss you terribly, but it's quite a lot of fun being at home. Mum's starting to worry-more than usual I mean-because we've all started preparing to fight. My empathy link helped me understand just what her worries are and, Harry, they frightened me too. She's scared almost all the time. For you, for me, for my brothers, for your family, and most of all, she's so worried that something's going to happen to her and Dad and no one will take care of us. It's really a silly worry because I'm sure nothing's going to happen to them, and even if it does, we're not just going to be left to rot. But what worries me most of all is the fact that she isn't telling these worries to anyone. I had to probe so much into her mind to find out the problem, and they're going to bottle up so much, I'm afraid she's going to make herself sick._

_I spoke to Ron, Fred and George about it and we decided to spend a whole day with her doing things that we used to do when we were little. With a few additions, of course. We made her breakfast in bed today (without blowing up the kitchen or Ron eating the food before we gave it to her) and now we're going to let her tell us some stories, just so she doesn't feel like we've gone too far away from her. I hope Percy realises what a gargantuan arse he's being before it's too late. I know I'm going to Bat-Bogey him anyway._

_I've been practising my powers too. It's a lot of fun to read Fred and George's minds-they're so synced. But Fred has a certain Gryffindor Quidditch Captain on his mind quite a lot. I'm going to have so much fun with that._

_I just realised I've been writing about me the whole time. I'm so sorry, but I miss talking to you so much! How have you been? How're Lily and James? And Arya, Iris, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Aurora and Dorea? I feel like I'm missing out on so much by being away, but I'm sure you'll fill me in. _

_I have to go now; Mum's calling me for dinner. I'll see you soon._

_Love always,_

_Ginny._

Harry shook his head and smiled as he folded the letter and put it in his pocket. He whistled softly as he headed down for dinner. That night, they were going to have 'movie night', which was something that Lily, Tonks and Aurora had suggested. They were going to watch movies and eat popcorn and just spend time together as a family.

Harry had invited Hermione too, knowing that she'd rather spend time with the Potters than be at her own house, but Hermione had declined saying that she needed to spend some time with her parents because she hadn't in a while.

He grinned as Lily ruffled his hair, "What are you whistling about, my dear?"

"Ginny sent me a letter."

James nodded, "She's got you wrapped around her finger, that one."

"Well, Mum has you wrapped around her finger now." Harry stuck his tongue out at his father.

"And I love every minute." James smiled as he leaned down and kissed his wife.

Harry wrinkled his nose as his parents made goo-goo eyes at each other, "And just when I thought I couldn't get scarred for life anymore."

Sirius shook his head as he walked in, "Right in front of the baby deer. Shame on you!"

"Baby deer?" Harry asked.

Remus entered the room with his arm wrapped around Tonks, "Oh yeah, that's what Sirius called you when you were in Lily's tummy."

James rolled his eyes, "He was convinced we should call you Bambi."

Harry gaped at his father, "And you still let him be godfather?"

Remus and James guffawed as Sirius pointed a finger at Harry, "Don't cheek me, Bambi. I thought it would have a nice ring to it. Bambi James Potter. What's wrong with it?"

Harry shook his head, "You're mad, Uncle Sirius."

"Oh yes, but I've been told it's an endearing quality."

"By who?" Tonks snorted.

"People. Where's Aurora?"

Lily grinned, "She'll be arriving shortly. She's having dinner with her parents and brother and then she's coming here."

Sirius nodded, "Well, then, let's eat."

After dinner, when Aurora arrived, they all decided to humour Sirius and watch Bambi. No doubt Arya and Iris were the most entertained, but the others got some entertainment out of it too, especially when Aurora and Sirius exchanged heated glances whenever the subject of 'twitterpating' came up.

* * *

The rest of the holiday went by far too quickly for everyone. When they returned back to Hogwarts, Harry found that the teachers had become even more serious and had started to increase their workload even more. With OWLs only a couple of months away, most of the people in fifth year were starting to get tensed, and Harry found himself getting slightly worked up too. Everyone in his year had horrible dark circles. Hannah Abbott had to be given a Calming Draught after she had a nervous breakdown (and then Harry had to endure Hermione yelling at Ron for an hour after he laughed), and Pansy Parkinson was yelled at for almost fifteen minutes by Professor McGonagall when she couldn't transfigure her toad into a soap dish. So, needless to say, Harry felt bogged down by the end of the first week.

They had another DA meeting too, where Harry taught them some more jinxes and got them to practice duelling. He also decided to start them up on some physical training, so he split up the girls and the boys and asked Allisa, Hermione and Ginny to handle the girls and with Ron's help, he managed the boys. It was a lot of fun and for some people (especially the fifth and seventh years); it was a good way to relieve stress. However, half way through the meeting, Dobby had entered and said something that made Harry freeze on the spot ("_she's coming!") _and Harry ordered everyone to run. Most people got away, but it seemed that Umbridge had bought her Slytherin followers along and Harry found himself being hauled off to Dumbledore's office, where he was surprised to find Cho's friend Marietta Edgecombe. Her forehead was concealed by her red bangs and she appeared to be crying. Fudge, Percy, Kingsley and an Auror Harry recognised as Dawlish were also present, and Dumbledore was standing behind his desk. He smiled at Harry, who looked at Kingsley, and when no one was looking, Kingsley winked at him. Puzzlement had turned into anger as Harry found Dumbledore was taking the blame for him. Fudge had thought that Dumbledore was plotting against him and the title 'Dumbledore's Army' suggested he was right. He had been dictating everything to Percy, who had been writing everything down, eagerness alight in his eyes. However, when Fudge decided to put Dumbledore in Azkaban, Harry found to his relief that Dumbledore was able to escape and Fudge was left looking utterly dismal. Marietta Edgecombe looked at Harry, who saw, to his delight, that the words 'SNEAK' had been imprinted on her forehead. He grinned at Hermione's handiwork. He bet the Marauders and Fred and George would be proud.

This elation had gone down considerably when he realised that Dumbledore was no longer at Hogwarts and the next morning, when Umbridge was appointed Headmistress, the whole of Gryffindor house was glaring daggers at the Ravenclaw table.

Umbridge was abusing her power to the utmost. She had the members of the DA put in detention (doing normal lines as she really was scared of Lily Potter and her capabilities), put new Ministry decrees for the stupidest things and started up the Inquisitorial Squad who Ron referred to as "Umbitch's Bitches".

In an attempt to cheer people up and piss Umbridge off more, Fred and George let out their new invention: fireworks that duplicated every time someone tried to get rid of them. So, you'd see Umbridge running about as fast as her stubby legs could carry her trying to get rid of them, and when she confronted the other teachers about not helping her, they informed her politely that they weren't sure if they were ALLOWED to do anything to get rid of them. Umbridge's face had been a picture. Harry almost wished he'd pulled a Colin and taken one.

Occlumency continued and Harry found that his barrier had weakened a tad. Snape told him to increase the amount of time he spent organising his thoughts as stress could make the barrier weaken. That only added to the stress, in Harry's opinion. Nevertheless, Harry was glad the lessons were back on. Snape was a lot calmer with him and it seemed to Harry that the apology really had paid off.

The thing that really worried Harry was Ginny. She'd been acting weird since around about half way through the week and she said it was something to do with her powers as an Inferno, that this was a sign that something bad was going to happen. She'd told Lily via Harry's mirror as Umbridge was still keeping tabs on the post and although Lily tried to hide it, Harry could see that his mum was just as worried as he was if not more. She promised she'd research on it and told Ginny to keep her eyes open and her mind alert.

* * *

Ginny sighed as she walked back from Transfiguration. Her head was throbbing and she gasped as her vision suddenly faded and a voice filled her mind, **"The truth must be revealed. The boy must know." **And then she got a flash of something that looked like a black door with a brass handle, and all of a sudden it faded away and the dizziness stopped. Everything was normal again. She paused wondering what had happened and she suddenly realised that she had just had a vision, but it made absolutely no sense.

Meanwhile, Harry, sitting in the Common Room, had also heard a voice, but it was muffled and Harry couldn't clearly make out what it was saying. He only caught certain words like 'destiny' and 'truth.' He was semi-satisfied in knowing that the Occlumency and some of the mind-blocking his mum had taught him to do with his Guardians was working, but he couldn't help but wonder what the voice was trying to say. All those thoughts faded from his mind when he saw Ginny enter looking like she'd just seen a Chimaera.

"Ginny, what happened?" Hermione asked, worriedly watching her friend stumble slightly as she headed for the armchair, "_Ginny?"_

Ginny sat down and shook her head.

"Give her a minute, 'Mione," Harry ordered as he stroked Ginny's back soothingly.

After a few minutes, which were agonising for Ron, Hermione, Neville, Allisa and Harry, Ginny took a deep breath and said, "I had some sort of vision."

"Like the ones my mum said you might have?" Harry asked.

"Yes, but it was so fragmented. Only two sentences were spoken and I have no idea what they mean. I want to figure it out, but the more I try, the more it hurts."

Ron shook his head, "I don't think you should force yourself to figure it out, Gin, it'll come to you just give it time."

Hermione eyed her, concerned, "How about we go and get some dinner? You look like you could use some food."

Ginny nodded, but she wasn't at all convinced. She wondered what the voice was talking about. What truth? Harry already knew about the prophecy. But maybe Voldemort didn't know Harry knew? She sighed and willed the thoughts to leave her head as they reached the Great Hall. She sighed softly when Harry kissed her forehead and told her to relax, completely grateful that she had people to take care of her because she had a feeling that she was going to be rather scatterbrained until she sorted this out.

* * *

Harry jumped when Ron stormed into the boy's dormitory one night, followed by Hermione and Ginny.

"Pyjama party?" Harry asked, his lips twitching.

Hermione shook her head with a small smile as Ron exploded, "You won't believe what the twins have planned."

Harry quirked an eyebrow, "What?"

"They're leaving and they've planned this evil plot to prank Umbitch before they go," Ginny sighed.

"Leaving? Can they do that?" Harry asked, completely taken aback.

Hermione shook her head, "Not without Molly getting very angry; they can't."

"Very angry? _Very angry? _ That's an understatement. She'll be royally pissed off and she's going to yell at me and Ginny because we didn't do anything to stop them," Ron said shaking his head.

"I don't really think they'd listen if we tried." Ginny shrugged.

"They're going to open their shop, aren't they?" Harry asked, "Well, I'm definitely supporting them. We could use a laugh right now and Umbitch needs to be taught a lesson. And besides, as their sponsor, I don't think I'm allowed to say anything about their plans."

Ron brightened, "Wait a minute, yeah, you funded them. Brilliant, I'll just tell Mum it's your fault."

Hermione wrinkled her nose, "You really are a Gryffindor."

Harry chuckled and his face took on a worried expression as he saw Ginny's. She had a very far off look on her face. "Gin?"

Ginny jumped, "Sorry. That feeling still hasn't gone away."

"Have you talked to Lily about it?" Ron asked.

"Yeah. She told me talk to Dumbledore if it gets any worse, and I'm hoping it won't."

Hermione sighed. "How about we play some Exploding Snap? Take your mind off it."

Ginny grinned, "Count me in."

* * *

Fred and George's escape became the talk of Hogwarts. They had made a portable swamp and placed it in the corridor with the statue of Gregory the Smarmy. Umbridge's reaction was absolutely hilarious. She went beet red with anger and started to yell that they would be expelled, but before she could, they informed her that education was no longer their thing and with that, they summoned their brooms, told Peeves to "give her hell" and flew off. To Harry's surprise, Peeves had bowed to them on their way out, ensuring he would.

Even the teachers were impressed and no one would help Umbridge get rid of it. Hermione told Harry that she was sure Flitwick wouldn't even take a minute so, when he was asked, Flitwick got rid of most of the swamp with an impish smile, leaving a little because it was "such a brilliant work of magic."

James and Lily slowed down on the lessons for Harry as his exams were approaching too soon for his taste. He had managed to ask his Guardians to do various things for him and he was able to channel his emotions in a way that made him more powerful, but it was very exhausting, and his mum informed him that he was definitely going to need more practice.

The last Quidditch match, between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, was something everyone had been dreading, but it turned out that Harry and Hermione weren't able to see much of it because Hagrid had come to ask for a favour. When they followed him into the Forbidden Forest, he revealed a secret. It turned out that he'd got a half-brother called Grawp. Hagrid had taken on the task to teach him English which was something he was asking Harry and Hermione to do just in case he had to go away. Just when Harry had thought things couldn't get any weirder, the centaurs had shown up and they were very anti-Hagrid for having saved Firenze. So, afterwards, because of the beseeching look on Hagrid's face, Hermione and Harry were forced to say yes.

On returning to the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry found that Gryffindor had actually won the match because of Ron's amazing Keeping skills. When Hermione and Harry told him that they hadn't actually seen the match (after he'd basked in the glory enough), he was horrified, and when they told him that it was because Hagrid was hiding his half-giant brother in the Forbidden Forest, he just looked aghast.

But all this seemed to leave Harry's head as the OWLs approached. He'd received owls from his family, Sirius and Remus wishing him good luck. Everyone was stressed out, most people had horribly short tempers and as a result, most of the noisy second, third and fourth years had taken to avoiding the common room at all costs (after being yelled at by Hermione, Seamus, Ron and Parvati multiple times). The exams were going pretty well for Harry. Charms had gone very well (and he'd gotten extra credit for the Protean Charm), Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts were practically a picnic (when he told his mum that, she told him he sounded so much like his father), and even Potions had gone quite well. It was during his Astronomy exam that things became chaotic.

The room was virtually silent when loud voices interrupted the people taking the exam. Alert and completely worried, Harry looked out to find Umbridge and a few Ministry officials arriving outside Hagrid's cabin to arrest him. Hagrid put up quite a fight and then McGonagall came, and she sounded so angry that Harry winced at the tone of her voice. He swore when she took four Stunners to her chest as she tried to help Hagrid and had to be sent to St Mungo's. Hagrid had, thankfully, escaped.

It was the evening the fifth years had finished their exams and Ginny sighed as she sank on her bed, completely exhausted. The way the visions were coming at the most inopportune times was really draining her. It was quite early, the sun still in the sky, but she found herself dozing off to into what she hoped would be a dreamless sleep. Unluckily for her, that didn't quite happen. Her dreams were a mixture of all the visions she'd been getting so far and unable to take it anymore, she woke up and rushed down to the Common Room, where she found Harry, Neville, Hermione, Allisa and Ron.

"I need to talk to Dumbledore," Ginny said firmly.

"What happened?" Harry asked, standing up, rather alarmed.

"Visions. I think he can help me."

Hermione nodded, "Umbitch's office is the only one with Floo. I'll call Luna and we'll try to create a diversion. Harry, you go with Ginny and find out what's going on."

Harry nodded, "On it!"

And with that, they split up. Harry rushed up and took the Marauder's Map and the Invisibility Cloak before grabbing Ginny's hand and making their way to Umbridge's office.

True to their word, Ron, Hermione, Allisa and Neville had summoned Luna with one of their DA coins and then proceeded to wreak havoc in a way that would have made Fred, George and the Marauders rather proud. Whilst Ron let off the Limited Edition Strong Smell Dungbombs (a Christmas gift from Fred and George), Hermione and Neville let out a couple of Fanged Frisbees that Hermione had confiscated, and Luna and Allisa let off some fireworks. They grinned as they heard Umbridge's scream of rage.

However those grins soon faded as they found themselves face to face with Inquisitorial Squad.

"Oh, shit," Ron muttered.

* * *

Harry and Ginny had managed to open Umbridge's door and then Ginny had rushed to the fire, throwing in powder and calling out Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Winky's and Dobby's heads came into view and she sighed in relief.

"Dobby, go and tell Dumbledore that Ginny Weasley needs to talk to him, please," Ginny requested and she watched as the elf nodded his head and disappeared along with Winky.

A few seconds later, Dumbledore's head appeared in the fire, "Ginny? What's going on?"

"Sir, the visions I've been having are getting worse. When I asked Lily for help to sort them out, she told me to ask you because even she doesn't have all of the information. Something's happening in the Department of Mysteries isn't it?"

"H-how-Why do you need to know that?" Dumbledore asked, worried.

"I keep having visions about it, but they're hazy and full of voices, I don't get any information other than that. I need to know what's in there," Ginny ordered, and Harry was surprised at the power that radiated through her voice.

"I'm sorry Ginny, but I can't tell you. It isn't safe."

"Professor, I have to follow what-"

Ginny's protest stopped midway as the door banged open and Umbridge stood in the doorway, her beady eyes blazing.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" she asked, sweetly.

"What does it look like? We're using your Floo and we hadn't finished." Ginny glared at her.

"I'll be the judge of that, Ms Weasley. You had absolutely no right to break into my office."

"You had no right to block out Floos and check our letters, but we dealt with it, so I guess you'd better suck it up and get over it." Harry shrugged.

Umbridge smiled sweetly again, "Well, maybe you'll change your mind after you see this." Harry's eyes widened as Hermione, Allisa, Ron, Luna and Neville came into view, each of them squirming in the grips of the Inquisitorial Squad.

"Let them go," Ginny ordered, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"I think not. Potter, tell me who you were talking to."

"I think not," Harry replied, raising his eyebrows.

Her face adopted a disgruntled expression, "Zabini, kindly go and fetch Professor Snape for me." Zabini nodded and pushed Hermione into the arms of Millicent Bulstrode, who was already holding Neville, before hurrying out of the room. "I have ways to get you to start talking."

"Oh, I'm sure."

A few minutes passed where Harry was desperately trying to find a way to escape the situation and where Ginny found she could barely think as her head had started pounding again. Snape entered suddenly, followed by Zabini.

"You called, Headmistress?" Snape sneered slightly.

"Yes, I'd like for you to fetch me your strongest truth potion."

"I gave you a whole bottle, Dolores. Don't tell me you used it up already. Only a few drops were necessary."

"Yes, well, a lot of students needed to be questioned. Make some more."

"That'll take a month."

"A month? I can't wait for that, I need it now! I caught Potter and Weasley trying to use my Floo."

Snape raised his eyebrows, "Now, why doesn't that surprise me?"

Harry sighed, "There's something going on in the place where it's hidden. Find out what, please."

Umbridge opened her mouth and closed it again twice before asking shrilly, "What is he talking about, Snape?"

Snape shrugged, "I have no idea. If I can be of no more assistance to you, Headmistress, I think I shall go." He turned and left, his cloak billowing about him.

Umbridge let out a scream of irritation. "Fine, I shall have to use my own methods. Come here, Mr Potter; let's see how quiet you are when you're up against the Cruciatus."

"Have you lost your mind?" Ginny asked, "That's illegal."

"Well, I won't be caught, will I?" Umbridge smirked. She pushed Harry down on the chair, "This is your chance, Potter, tell me and you will not have to endure pain."

"Nah, I'm good."

Umbridge's eyes narrowed, "Cru-"

"NO! WAIT! Wait!" Hermione yelled, "I'll tell you, alright? I-I'm sorry, Harry, but she-she can't use that curse on you." The next part of Hermione's story made Harry think that she deserved an award. She told Umbridge that Ginny and he had been contacting Dumbledore to tell him that they had finished the weapon he had instructed them to make.

Umbridge looked furious and absolutely victorious. She asked Hermione and Harry to lead her to the weapon and Harry found himself being led by Hermione into the Forbidden Forest, going deeper and deeper. He realised that she was leading them to Grawp but when Grawp wasn't there, she looked at Harry with a loss for what to do.

Then, the centaurs charged in along with Grawp, and because of Umbridge's inability to keep her mouth shut, she was carried away by the centaurs for calling them "filthy half-breeds."

Hermione turned to Harry, "Now what?"

"Let's go and get the others, Hermione. I have a feeling I know what's going on and I think Ginny might know what to do next."

"I think we're a little ahead of you there," Allisa grinned at him.

"How did you escape?" Hermione asked them, awed.

"Ginny elbowed Parkinson, Bat-Bogeyed Zabini and a few others, and in all that chaos, the rest of us managed to escape, then we came down here," Ron explained.

Harry turned to Ginny, "What do we do now, Ginny?"

Ginny turned to Harry, "We have to go to the Department of Mysteries, Harry."

"Why?"

"Because that's how Voldemort is seen by the employees of the Ministry of Magic. He wants something that's there; he's been plotting to have his Death Eaters steal it. We need to stop him and we need to make sure that the Wizarding World sees he's back. I've seen what could happen if we don't and it's not good. The amount of pain it may cause made me faint. We have to go."

Harry nodded, "Fine, I'll go."

"You're not going alone, Harry," Hermione said firmly.

"But-"

"C'mon, mate, it should be obvious to you now. You're never going into a situation where you might die alone. We'll always be there to protect you," Ron grinned.

"You need to get that in your head, Harry. You're never going to be alone." Alissa said firmly.

Harry shook his head in defeat, "Fine."

"And it's not just us who are going. We're going to alert the Order. Use your mirror, Harry, and send your dad a message. We'll work out how to get to London in the meantime," Hermione ordered.

"I think I know how we can do that," Luna said, and Harry grinned as he saw her pointing to the Thestrals.

Harry sighed when his father didn't respond to his message. He frowned slightly and then looked up as he heard Ginny call his name. "I'm going to use telepathy to let Lily know, Harry, forget the mirror. It'll be a lot quicker."

Harry nodded as they mounted the Thestrals (Ron was looking highly uncomfortable sitting on something he couldn't see) and watched as Ginny closed her eyes as she sent a message to Lily, _Visions are leading us to the Department of Mysteries. Meet you there?_

**A/N: My, my. They are in trouble, aren't they?**

**Originally, I was going to make this a little different but I quite like the way it's turned out.**

**Now let me do some advertising. Andaman is an absolutely beautiful place. The beaches are -insert expletive here- gorgeous and the sea is clear and a deep bluish green. I scuba-dived and snorkelled which was the highlight of my trip and there's lots of history there too because when the British ruled India, there was a jail in Port Blair (the capital) for Indian prisoners who tried to rebel and revolt. It's called the Cellular Jail and going there and hearing all the various punishments almost made both my eyes and ears bleed. So if you love history, scenery, good food (especially sea food), adventure sports and the seaside, I'd highly recommend you going!**

**Secondly, a review reply to an anon reviewer:** adith_:_ **Haha, yes, it has been a while! It's nice to hear from you again though :P I'm sorry, I love fillers but yeah, you'll be getting to read some action very very soon. Fillers add suspense and they're sort of important to connect the story together you know, I can't just jump from Easter to the Department of Mysteries. Oh no, Snape hasn't anywhere near accepted the apology. He's just agreed to be civil. You too and I shall try! Thank you soo much for your review!**

**A few fanfiction recommendations now:**

**1. Honestly** _by _**Gmariam:** _Seven months after leaving Hogwarts, James Potter is fighting for the Order of the Phoenix. When Lily Evans joins the resistance, his life is turned upside down. He'd proposed, after all, and she had said no. How could they work together now, after so much history together? Or could they find another chance amidst the war?_

**It's fantastic, short, sweet and just bloody perfect. You HAVE to read it. I sort of fell in love with it, to be honest.**_  
_

**2. Summer Magic** _by _**movinggirl:**_ You mean to say that Potter's family is coincidentally staying across the street from our beach house for the summer, Mum and Mrs. Potter are now randomly best friends, and they expect me to hang out with that git for two months? You've got to be joking._

**This one's interesting. I really liked it. It's got a few twists and turns that you don't expect.**_  
_

**3. Sleepless** _by _**writergirl8:** _Because sometimes, to fall asleep, all you need is your best friend. Your boyfriend. Your fiancee. Your wife. Your soul mate. A collection of 30 moments in a lifetime during which Ron and Hermione just couldn't fall asleep._

**So, I'm not normally a Ron/Hermione shipper (even though they're paired up in my story). I like them together, but I prefer her with Fred or George or Draco. Someone who gives her a bit of a challenge, get's her brain working, etc. But this story is soo well written and they just seem to be perfect for each other. It's a really amazing read :) So goo read!**_  
_

**Finally, I wish, I seriously wish I could send you all Chocolate Frogs because your support is seriously mind-boggling. It gives me soo much inspiration, so thank you so much! *a BIG hug* **

**Let me know what you thought of this chapter. Next chapter's where there's a lot more action which I'm having fun writing. Reviews get sneak peeks as usual.**

**Have a spellbinding week!**

**Love,**

**Ishani**


	50. Chapter 50:The Department of Mysteries

**A/N: I know, I know. It's been eons since I last updated and I have quite a few excuses but I'm sure you guys just want to get on with the story. From hereon, I shall be trying to update more often (and I know I've said this multiple times, but I'm going to do my very best this time. Honestly. I swear). Grade 12 starts tomorrow, so I shall be a lot busier (I didn't even think that was possible). I have a few exams coming up but after that, I shall be relatively free, to write at least. I know there are a few people who reviewed to whom I haven't replied. I'm so sorry for the delay, I'll get on to that immediately. Thank you SO much for all your support! I hope you like this chapter. I'll meet you at the bottom.**

Chapter 50: The Department of Mysteries.

Lily gasped as Ginny's voice filled her head; _Visions are leading us to the Department of Mysteries. Meet you there? _ Alarm filled her body as she jumped out of her armchair and ran up the stairs thanking both Merlin and whatever other higher power there might be that James had decided to take the day off that day.

"James! JAMES!" Lily yelled.

"Lily? What is it? What happened? What's wrong?" Even from another room, James could sense the fright in his wife's voice. He ran out from the twins' room and closed the door after checking the yelling hadn't disturbed their nap.

They met each other halfway and Lily bit her lip, "They've gone to the Department of Mysteries, James. We need to get there. Now!"

James didn't ask anymore, "Help me alert the Order?"

Lily nodded and both of them cast their Patronuses with the message-_Harry and the gang have gone the Department of Mysteries. Get there immediately._

Almost immediately replies came back, each voicing their worries and agreeing. Lily kissed James's cheek, "Let's go get our baby."

* * *

On arriving at the Ministry of Magic, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Allisa, Ron, Neville and Luna, and using the telephone booth entrance that Harry had heard his parents talk about, they sprinted down the hall and into the elevator. Harry watched Ginny press the 'down' button with growing trepidation, wondering if Voldemort had somehow managed to plant an image into Ginny's head after finding it wasn't working on his. He was jolted out of his thoughts when the lift came to an abrupt stop and a voice said "Department of Mysteries" as the doors of the elevator slid open.

They ran out again, but as they were nearing the door, Harry stopped. "Some of you need to stand outside and guard."

Hermione raised her eyebrows, "That won't work, Harry."

"Why not?"

"How would we be able to let you know someone's coming? You could be miles and miles away." Allisa shook her head, "It'll be better if we stay together."

"Let's go, Harry," Ginny nodded at him and he sighed.

Marching forward, he swung the door open and the others followed him in. Harry's eyes widened as they took in the room. It was large, circular and almost completely black. There were blue candles around that gave the room an eerie light. When Neville shut the door behind them, the candles flickered and Harry bit back a groan. His worry intensified when Luna gasped and Hermione grabbed his arm as the walls started spinning along with the doors.

"What the-?" Ron asked, alarmed.

"It's so we won't know the way out," Ginny said in a hushed voice. "Let's go."

She marched forward confidently and opened the door nearest to them. Everyone had their wand at the ready, and all of a sudden they all had to squint, as the room was a lot brighter than the one they had been in before. There were only a few desks, and in the middle of the room, there was a glass tank of deep green liquid with many white objects floating around. They were weirdly shaped.

Harry was just about to ask what they were when Hermione breathed, "_Brains._"

Allisa wrinkled her nose, "What are they doing with them?"

Neville shuddered, "Let's move on, guys."

Ginny nodded and she led them to another door. They entered and just before Luna closed the door, Hermione imprinted the door with the fiery red 'X' by using the Flagrate Charm. After that, they entered through another door.

Harry took one look around the room and chills erupted all over his body. The room was rectangular and the walls seemed to be slanted slightly. There were stone benches that circled the room and descended in steps ending when they reached a stone pit that contained an archway with a black curtain that looked tattered and frayed. It was fluttering slightly even though Harry could feel no wind.

He was just about to go and find out what the veil was when Ginny stopped him, "Don't Harry."

He didn't question her and then asked her followed her as she approached another door but it didn't open. The last one they opened seemed to be it because that's when Ginny let out a sigh of relief.

Harry, however, didn't. There were clocks everywhere and when Ginny started speed walking inside towards the towering crystal bell jar at the end of the room. Ginny led them to the end of row ninety-seven where they started to hear a voice.

"_Learn the truth."_

Ginny pointed to a small, glowing orb, "That has your name on it, Harry. This is the place. They'll come here and then we'll fight and then Voldemort will appear and the Ministry officials will see."

Harry looked up and his eyes widened as he took in the prophecy.

_S.P.T to A.P.W.B.D._

_Dark Lord_

_and_

_Harry Potter (?)_

Harry reached up to grab it and Ginny bit her lip as Hermione said, "I really don't think you should touch that, Harry."

"It has my name on it."

"But you know what it says."

Harry just shrugged. He wondered if there was something he didn't know, a secret that this orb possessed that would help him defeat Voldemort. He picked it up and marvelled at how it felt both hot and cold at the same time. This wonder soon turned into alarm as he heard loud popping noises and they found themselves standing in front of a large group of Death Eaters with Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange standing right at the front.

"The Dark Lord is never wrong," Malfoy smirked.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"He knew you would come and acquire the prophecy for him."

"Why does he want it?"

Bellatrix let out a cold laugh, "Well, we're not going to tell the likes of you,"

"Hand it over, Potter," Malfoy ordered.

"I think not." Harry played with the orb a bit shifting it from one hand to the other, watching the Death Eaters calculate their next move. Pity, he'd figured his out already, "NOW!"

Harry grinned as Ginny, Allisa and Ron fired the Reductor Curse at the orbs as the others began to run. Harry and Ginny ran in one direction, Bellatrix, Malfoy, Dolohov, and two other Death Eaters Harry didn't recognise hot on their tails, Hermione and Ron were followed by Nott, Rodolphus Lestrange and one who Ron recognised to be Macnair. Allisa, Neville and Lune were chased by Crabbe, Goyle and Rabastan Lestrange.

It was pure chaos. Harry wondered why the Order of the Phoenix hadn't arrived yet. They were running in circles, ducking and firing spells. They all met in the middle and Harry growled slightly as the Death Eaters circled in on them, prowling around, playing with their prey.

"Come on, Little Potter, hand over that prophecy."

"Not likely, Bella," Harry retorted.

"Don't call me that," Bellatrix snapped.

"Well it looks like I've hit a nerve."

"Shut up, you filthy little half-breed."

"Grow up, Bella. Voldemort's just using you, you know. You think he cares about you. But if I killed you now, he wouldn't really," Harry let out a chuckle.

"Why you-" Bellatrix began edging forward, but before she had a chance to pull out her wand, she flew back. Harry turned shocked, and saw Neville looking triumphant. "Thanks, mate."

Rodolphus Lestrange let out a howl of rage and grabbed Neville. "Now you listen to me, Potter, this is how it's going to work. You are going to hand over that prophecy to us, or you're going to have to watch your little friend get tortured." Harry watched with dismay as the remaining Death Eaters swopped down in a cloud of black smoke grabbed one of his friends each.

Neville shook his head, his face turning a light red colour, "Don't give it to him, Harry, I'm not worth that."

Harry shook his head. He was just about to hand over the prophecy when the door blasted open and Order members ran inside. James and Sirius charged at Rudolphus whilst Harry saw his mum, Aurora, Tonks, Remus, Moody, Kingsley, Professor Reed, Mr Weasley and Emmeline Vance take on the other Death Eaters. Amidst all of that, no one noticed Bellatrix beginning to stir slightly.

"Harry, get your friends and get out of here!" James yelled at him.

"But I-"

"Don't you _dare_ argue, young man," Lily warned him whilst firing a jet of purple light at Dolohov, "You're in quite a lot of trouble already."

Harry managed to look sheepish. Then he grabbed Neville's arm and gestured for the others to follow him. They ran, darting and ducking in order to avoid being hit by the numerous spells being shot across the room. All of a sudden, Harry saw Malfoy push Tonks into a nearby wall, and storm towards him. He threw the prophecy to Neville and watched Remus come fire a spell to Dolohov (who was attempting to curse Neville) and groaned as Neville got caught in the duel. In a desperate attempt to save himself, Neville ducked, but the prophecy slipped from his hand and fell to the floor, shattering. Smoke and a shadowy figure rose from the pieces and a small voice began reciting the prophecy, and Harry thanked Merlin it was too frenzied for everyone to hear.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Neville bit his lip.

"It's alright. I think it's better this way. Wait a minute, where did the others go?" Harry swore under his breath as he looked around trying to find Ginny.

"I think we got split up when Dolohov and Professor Lupin were duelling."

Harry felt himself getting more and more nervous and then let out a sigh of relief when the door flew open and Dumbledore entered. He now understood why Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort feared. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen. Dumbledore's normally twinkling eyes were ablaze with anger and he seemed to radiate power. The Death Eaters froze all of a sudden, and then started to run, but Dumbledore waved his wand, and when they tried to Apparate, they found they couldn't. It was only Bellatrix and Sirius who continued their duel and Harry watched it with growing fear.

Sirius was laughing as Bellatrix randomly shot curse after curse at him, most of them hitting statues and walls. "You're going to have to do better than that, Bella."

She growled, "You think you're so smart. You befouled the Black name. You're nothing more than a blood traitor."

"You say blood traitor to insult me. But, Bella, m'dear, I will always see it as a compliment."

Bellatrix had evidently gotten tired of the chit chat and Harry watched queasily, his heart pounding up a storm as he watched a jet of green light head for Sirius.

Everything after that happened very fast, but it felt like Harry was watching everything in slow motion.

Bellatrix and Sirius were quite a distance away from each other and so it was just lucky that Aurora and James had enough time to pull Sirius away and conjure a bright blue bird that took he curse instead. Panting heavily, Sirius nodded his thanks at Aurora, whose eyes were wide with fear.

Unable to help himself, Harry commented, "You really aren't getting anything done today, are you?" (This caused the Order members to groan knowing that provoking Bellatrix was a very bad idea). Lily and James made their way forward, but Harry flashed his eyes at them, telling them silently that he could handle her. They fell back, defeated.

"Shut up, Potter."

"What's the matter, Bella? Can't you take what you seem to dole out?"

Growling and swearing, Bellatrix made her way to Harry, who backed away. She fired spell after spell at him—red, orange, purple, blue and black streams of light and he managed to avoid each one. He ran into another room he recognised as the Ministry lobby and wondered how he'd gotten there. Bellatrix entered after him, smirking, possible smelling an easy victory, but Harry was determined to defeat Voldemort's most prized and devoted Death Eater.

"I'm giving you one last chance, Potter. Give me the prophecy and we'll let your friends and your family get out of here unscathed," Bellatrix offered.

Harry laughed, "The prophecy's broken, Bella. Voldemort's not going to be very happy with you, is he?"

"What? Y-you're lying. Give it to me. _Accio prophecy._" She let out a shriek. "This can't be happening."

"I'm afraid it is, Bella. The boy tells the truth. The prophecy has indeed gone. And my faithful servants have let Harry Potter thwart me again," Voldemort said, appearing out of nowhere behind Harry.

Harry raised his eyebrows, his lips curving into a mocking smirk that would have made Snape proud, "Well, your faithful servants are rather incompetent, aren't they? They couldn't get the prophecy from a bunch of teenagers. Or maybe they're just following the example set by their master."

Voldemort let out a hiss and Bellatrix gulped, "M-master, it was the Order's fault, they came and Dumbledore was there too-"

She fell silent when Voldemort raised his hand. "I have no time for your excuses, Bella. It's plain and simple. I gave you all a task and you failed. You will reap what you sow, but right now, I'm going to teach Harry a lesson."

"Put your wand where your mouth is Tom. You don't scare me," Harry said roughly, raising his wand.

Voldemort's lips curved into a cruel smile, "_Avada Kedavra."_

Harry wasn't sure what to do. He was about to say an incantation when the headless golden statue of the wizard from the fountain appeared in the front of him and the spell bounced off.

"What the-?" Voldemort began and then his lips curled in distaste, "_Dumbledore! _Of course_"_

"It was unwise of you to come here tonight, Tom," Dumbledore said, standing in front of Harry and easily deflecting the spell Voldemort sent his way.

"That is something I need to worry about," Voldemort spat, losing all his patience and sending the Killing Curse at his old teacher. It missed however and hit the security guard's desk and Harry shuddered as it burst into flames.

Dumbledore calmly swished his wand, but the spell that was produced caused goose bumps to appear all over Harry's skin even though he was being protected by the statue. Voldemort created a silver shield in order to deflect it.

"You don't wish to kill me, Dumbledore," Voldemort said, his voice soft.

Harry's eyes widened as Dumbledore began to walk towards Voldemort, "You have much to learn, Tom. There are many ways to destroy a man. I must admit, merely killing you wouldn't satisfy me. Much less the countless other families you've torn apart."

"There is nothing worse than death!" Voldemort roared.

"Like I said, you have much to learn. It may perhaps be your greatest weakness, the fact that you fear death so much-" A one armed centaur galloped its way in front of Dumbledore, exploding into many tiny pieces as a Killing Curse hit it. Dumbledore waved his wand and a thin flame flew from the tip, wrapping itself around Voldemort, but Harry watched with dread as that rope became a serpent that hissed at Dumbledore.

Voldemort vanished all of a sudden and the snake began to slither towards Dumbledore, preparing to attack, and then Voldemort reappeared behind him, next to the fountain, and sent a jet of green light once again.

Harry was petrified. Out of nowhere, the enchanting song of a phoenix filled the air and Harry breathed a sigh of relief as Fawkes swooped down and consumed the spell by opening his beak, dropping to the ground slowly, ash by ash. The silence was suddenly broken when Voldemort let out a howl of rage as Dumbledore lifted the water from the fountain with his wand and swirled it around Voldemort, like a tornado. Harry thought it was a victory until the tornado exploded and Voldemort was nowhere in sight.

Dumbledore looked like he had aged about fifty years, "Do not move, Harry."

Harry opened his mouth to say okay, but all of a sudden his scar began to blister and he winced as his head began to pound, his eyes watering. Suddenly it all stopped and he felt as though evil was inside him, consuming him and he felt a wave of fear flicker through his body as he spoke in Voldemort's voice.

"_If death is nothing, Dumbledore, then kill me. Kill me right now."_

Dumbledore looked at Harry agonised and Harry opened his eyes. Dumbledore was alarmed to see that amidst his normally emerald green eyes was a large red circle.

Harry almost wanted to die. But if he died, he would never see his mum or his dad, or Hermione, Ron and Neville, and all his other friends who had stuck by him so firmly throughout the year. Merlin, if he died he couldn't be with Ginny. Ginny, who understood him more than he understood himself; who cared for him and loved him.

The Voldemort inside his head was taunting him, calling him weak for loving, and all of a sudden Harry realised that Dumbledore was right and so he said it out loud, causing the alarm on Dumbledore's face to turn into elation and pride, "I'm not the weak one, you are, for you can't even begin to understand or feel love, or care or friendship, and I pity you."

And all of a sudden Voldemort was gone. Harry took a deep, shuddering breath, and when he opened his eyes, the Atrium was filled with crowd of people, and judging by their expressions they had definitely seen Voldemort before he had disappeared.

"Merlin's beard! He's back," Fudge gaped.

Dumbledore replied, "Yes he is, but as you can see, I am in no state to entertain your questions. I am going to get Harry and his friends back to Hogwarts and I will meet you at the Ministry tomorrow to answer them. I suggest you print Voldemort's return in the Daily Prophet. The people of the Wizarding world need to be prepared. You will now have your undersecretary returned to you as you no longer need to spy on Hogwarts."

Harry, as tired as he was, hid a smirk as Dumbledore turned to him, "The Order has taken your friends back to Hogwarts. Go to the Hospital Wing and rest there. I'll meet you there in a minute or so." And with that, Dumbledore handed him a broken bit of the fountain which he had turned into a Portkey, and when Harry felt a familiar tug at his navel, he let out a sigh of relief knowing that Ginny had been right and that everyone was safe.

* * *

Sirius sighed as he reached Grimmauld Place. Most of the Order members were in the kitchen, celebrating over the fact that Voldemort had come back out into the open and trying to figure out what his next move would be. But Sirius wasn't in the mood for celebration; he just wanted to be alone. He'd had a near death experience and the only reason he was standing where he was, was because Aurora and James had saved his arse.

He sighed as he made his way to his room and locked the door. James he had expected, but Aurora he had not. They had become good friends, close friends and he enjoyed her company immensely, but he had never managed to tell her that he liked her, and that was what made him feel like such a coward.

Sirius now knew for certain that a war was coming and he had a feeling that it was going to be worse than the last one, with more losses and more injuries. He was a very forward man, he said what he felt, but he had never felt so nervous when he thought about telling a girl. But now he realised that had he...died, he would have gone with regrets. And Sirius hated regrets, so he made up his mind. He was going to tell Aurora he liked her and see where that went.

A knock on the door jolted Sirius out of his thoughts, "I don't want to talk right now, Remus."

"It's not Remus," a small voice said.

Sirius gulped and realised with disgust that his palms had become sweaty. He cleared his throat, "Come in."

Aurora entered, her robes still tattered from the fight, and there was a line of soot across her cheek. But Sirius still thought she looked wonderful.

She smiled at him, "Hey, are you alright?"

"Err, yeah. Thank you for...well...saving my life."

Aurora frowned, "You don't need to thank me for that, Sirius. I'm sure you would have done the same for me."

Sirius nodded, "I would have, without a doubt."

An awkward silence hung in the air and Aurora nodded slowly, "Well, I think I'll just leave you to your thoughts-"

"No!" Sirius exclaimed and Aurora turned alarmed, "I-I actually need to talk to you."

Aurora looked a little shocked, but she raised an amused eyebrow, "Oh?"

"Yeah. W-why don't you sit down?" Sirius suggested and led her to the armchair in his room and then he conjured another one and sat in front of her, "Aurora, we've been spending a lot of time together and you're a really good friend, b-but that's not enough for me. The first time I met you, there was some sort of attraction and I don't know if you've felt it, but each time I see you, every time we talk, it only gets stronger. We're at the beginning of a war now and it isn't ideal to form a relationship, but I know that if I don't tell you, I'll regret it forever. You're smart, funny, sweet and, Merlin, Aurora, you're bloody gorgeous and I really like you."

Aurora bit her lip, "It took you long enough. I like you too."

Sirius grinned as he leaned forward so that their noses were touching, "You do?" He whispered.

"I do."

"Well then, risking the fact that this might sound a tiny bit childish, Aurora Reed, would you do me the honour of being my girlfriend?"

Aurora let out a soft chuckle, "It would be my pleasure."

"Good, because I don't think I could have waited any longer." And with that, Sirius's lips descended on hers.

* * *

Harry grimaced slightly as he landed on a bed in the Hospital Wing and he grinned as he saw his parents waiting for him there. Ginny and the others were lying down too. Madam Pomfrey had placed massive, rectangular blocks of chocolate in front of them, after prodding and poking to check for injuries.

As Madam Pomfrey made her way to him, Harry knew he was in for the same treatment. And as his parents made their way towards him, he knew that he was in trouble.

"Why is it that you have to end the year with some sort of dangerous activity?" Lily sighed as she pulled her son in for a hug.

"Blame Dad, it's in my blood."

"Oh no, your father didn't pull this many life threatening stunts. He just liked annoying me and getting into fights." Lily smirked as she pulled her husband's cheek.

"Anyway, we see no point in punishing you because it's never done any good."

Harry grinned, "I knew I love you guys for a reason."

Lily shook her head slightly, "We're just glad no one got hurt. But, Harry, please don't be reckless. I know we've been training, but that doesn't mean you're fully prepared to take on Voldemort and his Death Eaters whenever you feel like, is that understood?"

"Yes, Mum."

The Hospital Wing doors flew open just then and Dumbledore entered, looking very proud. "Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville, Allisa and Luna, I'd like to say that you definitely made me proud today. You took on Death Eaters and risked your life for the betterment of the Wizarding world and I do not think this is something that we should expect from children so young; so, well done. Harry, I think it's time for us to talk alone with your parents."

Harry nodded as Dumbledore stepped nearer to them and cast a non-verbal spell that Harry presumed wouldn't allow anyone else to hear their conversation.

"I think your mind barrier may have broken today when Voldemort possessed you, Harry."

"You were possessed?" James asked in alarm.

Lily pursed her lips, "Well you left _that _detail out of the conversation. Goodness, Harry, you can't keep these things from us, they're very important. How did you manage to fight him?"

Harry shrugged, "My weapon's love. So I remembered my friends and my family and I just wanted to come back to all of you."

Lily smiled and James grabbed them both and pulled them in for a tight hug.

"Practice Occlumency over the summer, Harry, and make sure your mind is able to repel him. I will come over a few times to check up on your training. I hope you understand that this means the war will be out in the open. The death toll will go up, and it is important that we all stick together."

Harry smiled as he glanced around at his friends and thought of all of the Order members who had come to help save them, "You know, Professor, I really don't think that's going to be a problem."

**A/N: I couldn't kill Sirius, he's always been one of my favourite characters and as much as I love JKR, I hate that she killed him off when he was the closest thing Harry had to having his actual family. Besides, I have quite a bit planned for him.**

**Now, when I first planned to write this story I was about eleven so the plot needs some looking over, which I've been doing over the last few days just so I get this story going where it needs to. I'm honestly very excited about writing everything that's going to come after this because this is where it really does become my own.**

**A huge, massive, gigantic, enormous thank you to everyone who's stuck with this story for so long. Don't give up on me. I'll keep writing, I promise.**

**Two fanfiction recommendations for you now**

**1. Children of the Future **_by_** alohomora080: **_Forty-five labors. Forty-five chapters. Forty-five miracles._

**It's a really sweet idea, this. I really enjoyed reading about the future generation. You should give it a go.**

**2. Her and Me**_ by_** Tierfal: **_Hermione Granger will take pity on a hapless Draco Malfoy the day Hell freezes over. Draco is lacing up his ice skates._

**This story is a must-read for Dramione fans. It's funny, it's cute, it's witty and it's light. It's quite perfect. :)**

**We've reached 50 and to be quite honest, I didn't think I'd get there and I owe most of my inspiration to all of you wonderful people who read and review or favourite this story. It means more than the world and I can't thank you enough. Also a big shoutout to me Beta Amelie; thank you so much for all of your hard work :)**

**Leave me a review with your thoughts (or you know, yelling at me for being a lazy bum). Feedback (if it's bad, make it constructive) is always appreciated. Reviews get teasers.**

**Hope your weekend's wonderful!**

**Love always,**

**Ishani**


	51. Chapter 51:Surprises

**A/N: Hey everyone. I'm so sorry for the late update. I didn't even get to send you guys any teasers because even though I started the chapter a month ago, I finished it yesterday. A huge shout out to my beta Ginny Guerra who edited this so quickly, thank you so much! This is a shorter chapter. I'll have a longer one for you next time. Thank you to everyone who's taken the time to read and review this story! I love you all!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 51: Surprises.

The last few weeks of fifth year were a huge turnaround from the ones at the beginning. Slytherins still looked at Harry with distaste (sometimes more than before as he'd landed quite a lot of the Slytherin's parents in Azkaban again), but the other students who hadn't believed him before from the other houses had come forward to apologise.

Harry was also relieved to see that no one had lasting injuries from the fight, apart from Ron who had a few very light scars on his arm.

Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Allisa and Luna had all been awarded fifty points apiece by Professor McGonagall after she had returned from St Mungo's with a cane to help her walk, thankfully, and much to the relief of the students (excepting the Slytherins), she seemed to be in much better health. Hagrid had also returned and had disclosed to Harry when the "golden trio" had gone to meet him, that he was going to try to find a lady friend for Grawp.

The _Daily Prophet _also announced the return of Lord Voldemort and Fudge had been sacked (much to the pleasure of Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione). The voting for the new Minister of Magic would take place in a week and Amelia Bones was made the acting Minister of Magic for the time-being. Dumbledore had been reinstated as Headmaster and as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and as a member of the International Confederation of Wizards. The _Daily Prophet _had also reported that the mass breakout of Azkaban was due to the fact that the Dementors had revolted and joined Voldemort. Furthermore, Umbridge had been sacked after Dumbledore had rescued her from the herd of centaurs and then he had proceeded to tell her that she was going to face a trial for her crimes (Blood Quill usage, threatening to use the Cruciatus on a student and the usage of a truth potion), and then brought her to the hospital wing. Rita Skeeter's article about Harry had been published in the _Daily Prophet_ and he was now viewed as 'The Chosen One.'

Harry told his friends that he had been possessed by Voldemort, and when he did, Ginny, who had been through the same ordeal and could remember it vividly, blanched and held her boyfriend's hand a little tighter. Tensions were going to run high very soon and she could feel the fear that everyone was trying to hide. People knew now that the times that lay ahead would be bleak, and she was worried that not everyone in the Wizarding world who opposed Voldemort's views would show it because of the fear they felt.

This was running through almost everyone's mind. Allisa knew that if her father and Snape were caught spying for the Order, they would be killed without a second thought. She shuddered slightly because she had just gotten her father back; her family was whole for the first time and she doubted that, if Voldemort found out, he'd be very obliged to let it stay that way. She was worried also about Harry and how he would deal with the pressure. _Merlin knows he's as strong as they get_, she thought to herself, but she couldn't help but wonder exactly how they were going to defeat Voldemort.

Sirius and Aurora finally getting together was the news that acted as a ray of sunshine. It was what everyone needed, because, although Voldemort had been forced to show himself, he still had the upper hand because the Ministry was so unorganised. More than this, however, Harry wasn't sure how many spies Voldemort had in the Ministry, and he was willing to wager that there were quite a few.

The train ride home was pretty uneventful, unless one counted the usual interruption by the Slytherins. This time, Malfoy was nowhere to be seen. Zabini, Crabbe and Goyle entered the compartment with scowls, Crabbe grunting that the people in the compartment would pay for what they'd done. Harry was about to open his mouth and hex one of them when Hermione got up and yelled them away. They then tried to ambush Harry while he made his way back from the toilet and the attack might have succeeded had they not chosen to attack him right outside the compartment full of DA members. By the time Ernie, Hannah, Susan, Justin, Anthony and Terry had finished using all the curses that Harry had taught them, Zabini, Crabbe and Goyle, were in a rather sorry state and looked like malformed slugs in a cocoon made by their Hogwarts uniform. After thanking the DA members, Harry returned to his carriage and told everyone what had happened.

By the time they arrived in the station, it was very obvious that no one was going to stop talking about what had happened for a very long time. Everyone stepped out and Harry yanked out his trunk, followed by Ginny's, and carried Hedwig's cage in his other hand. Putting the cage down on his trunk, he pulled Ginny in for a long hug and then leaned down to kiss her softly.

Ginny hummed in approval and then pulled back biting her lip, "I'm not sure when I'll see you next. Mum's said that we're staying at the Burrow."

Harry smiled and tucked one of her lose strands of hair behind her ear, "You'll all have to come over to train and everything anyway. I'll see you soon." He pulled her in for a longer kiss and then touched his forehead to hers, "I love you."

Smiling, "I love you too. Write me?"

Harry grinned, "Of course."

They made their way towards Molly, who was standing with James, Lily, Fred, George and Bill. Ginny grinned as she hugged each of her brothers in turn and then greeted Lily and James, Hermione doing the same. Harry and Ron, on the other hand were inspecting Fred and George's attire.

"Are you wearing dragon hide?" Ron asked, surprised as he scrutinized their jackets and boots.

George grinned, "That we are little brother-"

"Business is booming and we thought we'd give ourselves a little treat," Fred finished for him.

Harry laughed, glad they were doing well. He greeted Molly and Bill and then hugged his parents. After bidding everyone goodbye and promising to write, he left to go home with his mother and father.

* * *

The first week of the holidays went by slowly. Harry busied himself with playing with Arya, Iris and Biscuits (who Harry found had gotten a lot older too and was more content chewing on his bone than playing Fetch with it), reading and spending time with family. He was training physically more than he was practicing his wandless magic because as Voldemort had come back out into the open, Moody (who used to be the Head of the Auror office) was keeping his dad busier than usual trying harder to find ways to capture Death Eaters. However it seemed that, at least for the time being, Voldemort was still lying low.

Ginny had spent one day with Lily revising what she had learned previously. Amid all her exams and then the battle in the Department of Mysteries, Ginny hadn't had enough time everyday to practice the powers she had harnessed and she found to her dismay that she had forgotten quite a lot of what she knew. They went to the Secret Room (as Ginny had labelled it) and Lily made Ginny read a lot of material before asking her to do anything practically.

They started off once again with empathy links. Lily asked Ginny to study one person's emotions for an hour explaining that the longer she was connected with that person, the easier it would be for her to communicate with them telepathically. Ginny studied James's, Sirius's and Remus's emotions for almost an hour each. Her range of empathy started off small and so she started to study Remus as she was sitting in the Library and as she felt herself become stronger, she started analysing Sirius's emotions whilst he was in the kitchen and then finally she moved on to James, who was upstairs in his and Lily's bedroom. It was a draining task, and by the time Ginny stopped for lunch, she was exhausted.

Harry had been working with his parents too and had been introduced to the concept of Shielding by Lily. He was made to sit in the place where he found most solace. Much to James' delight (and no one's surprise), this was the Quidditch Pitch. Harry sat there with his legs crossed and was made to close his eyes and visualise himself. He was then told to picture a small white dot at his centre and expand it slowly and gradually. This was grueling mentally because it required more concentration than even Occlumency.

Lily explained that after he had the basic white Shield, he'd be able to make more Shields around himself of different colours, textures, materials and that he could get his Guardians to help. She also explained how he could place his Shields to help protect other things and people and that if they were powerful enough, they could even stop the Killing Curse. Lily explained that this was an old form of Magic, a form that some Muggles believe in and that it was a mesh of many types of Magic which was why it was both so powerful and straining. She told Harry that as with everything, the power to make these Shields for other people comes from our emotions; the stronger they are, the more powerful the Shield. She also said that certainty while creating the Shield was very important or else, the Shield would fail.

Harry had suddenly realised that all of these things he was learning would combine to form a mighty weapon against Voldemort and he was sure that Shielding would play a very big part.

As July progressed, however, Harry found himself getting increasingly nervous as he realised that the O.W.L results would be out soon. He, Ron and Hermione had decided that the day that the results were set to come out, Ron and Hermione would come to Potter Manor so that they could all face them together. So that day, they were all sitting in the living room, munching on Chocolate Frogs and biscuits when Hermione let out a shriek and pointed at the window. Harry felt his stomach flip over as he saw three owls carrying three envelopes. James and Lily entered the room, along with Molly, who had Flooed over along with Ginny. Harry opened his letter and held his breath as he scanned through it.

_**Dear Mr Potter,**_

_**We are pleased to inform you that you have achieved ten O. . Your results are listed below. Please note the grading system that has been used.**_

_**PASS GRADES:- **_

_**Outstanding (O) [85-100]**_

_**Exceeds Expectations (E) [65-84.9]**_

_**Acceptable (A) [45-64.9]**_

_**FAIL GRADES:- **_

_**Poor (P) [35-44.9]**_

_**Dreadful (D) [25-34.9]**_

_**Troll (T)[0-24.9]**_

_**ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL RESULTS (June 1995) for Mr Harry J. Potter:**_

_**Ancient Runes: O**_

_**Astronomy: E**_

_**Care of Magical Creatures: E**_

_**Charms: O**_

_**Defence Against the Dark Arts: O**_

_**Divination: A**_

_**Herbology: E**_

_**History of Magic: A**_

_**Potions: O**_

_**Transfiguration: O**_

_**Congratulations!**_

_**Regards,**_

_**Griselda Marchbanks.**_

Harry was very surprised that he hadn't failed both History of Magic and Divination. Hermione had gotten ten Outstandings and one Exceeds Expectations, in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Ron had gotten a Poor in History of Magic, but otherwise had passed everything else. Needless to say, James and Lily were incredibly proud of Harry, and when they told Remus and Sirius, they both remarked that this was proof that Harry had inherited Lily's brains. Along with his results, Harry had been sent the booklist he'd need for next year, and was informed that he'd need to drop two subjects (he decided to drop Divination and Astronomy). He was also delighted to receive a badge decorated in red and gold, sporting a lion and a large C on it.

With his results out of the way, Harry had his birthday to look forward to, and it was celebrated rather grandly.

The Weasleys (excluding Percy), Hermione, the Notts, Neville and his grandmother, Hagrid, Luna, Sirius, Aurora, Tonks and Remus had all joined the Potters for dinner which they had decided to have in the garden. Harry couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed so hard. Arya and Iris had stolen James's and Sirius's wands and were sword-fighting with them rather furiously, causing sparks to be emitted. Some of these sparks landed on Sirius's hand and caused it (much to the delight and surprise of everyone else) to grow pink fur.

Harry also got a multitude of presents. From Ron he got some Chudley Cannons merchandise-a shirt, a hat and a badge that squealed praises for the Cannons shrilly every time you tapped it-; Hermione gave him a big box of Chocolate Frogs and a new Wizards' Chess set; his parents' gift was a couple of new quills and a new book on Defensive Magic for the mind; Sirius gave him a new set of Quidditch gloves; Remus and Tonks brought him a couple of new Muggle bestsellers along with a kooky alarm clock that swore loudly if you hit snooze too many times; from Fred and George he got a Skiving Snackbox; Mr and Mrs Weasley gave him two new cloaks, one in dark blue and another in bottle green, and yet out of all these, Ginny's present was his favourite. She had Flooed to Potter Manor early in the morning and surprised Harry by entering his room with a little cake she had baked herself. She woke him up by peppering light kisses all over his face, and when he hadn't responded (unless you count a sigh and a soft smile), she grinned mischievously and bit gently on his earlobe and murmured his name. Then she had spent the entire day with him and the rest of the Potter clan. Then, in the evening, just before dinner, she had pulled him in for a searing kiss leaving him rather starry eyed. She got him a Pride of Portree poster that had been signed by all the players and gave him a box Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, and she'd taken the time to pick out his favourites.

It was his best birthday yet.

The day after, Harry went with his parents to Diagon Alley to pick up his books and whatever else he'd need that year at Hogwarts. He was walking out of Flourish and Blotts when he felt his pocket heat up and he gasped in surprise as he pulled a letter out of it. He opened it and his surprise multiplied. Knowing his parents would most likely behead him if he didn't tell them; he thrust the letter in their faces, watching as their expressions changed from intrigued to shocked.

_Potter,_

_You know I wouldn't contact you unless the situation was so dire that I had to resort to asking you for help. I want out. I need your help. Please. _

_Meet me at Zizzi Ristorante at 12pm. _

_-DM._

**A/N: A shorter chapter and probably one of my worse ones, if I'm rather honest. Let me know what you thought!**

**A massive thank you to the Guest reviewer(s?)-I'm not sure whether it was the same person or different people. I wish you wouldn't review anon so I could reply. But to the person who has read my story five times...I don't even know what to say but that review really made my month. Thanks a ton!**

**I haven't had much time to write, I've been so busy and I don't see that changing any time soon, but I am trying to make time to write. It's a lot easier when you have like four hours to spare, but with me I get like half an hours in between everything that I have to do so it's sort of hard to pick up the flow every time. That and writers block. Gosh. It can really be a witch with a b. **

**I haven't really been reading all that much so I only have one recommendation this time:**

**Three Hundred and Sixty Five** _by_ **thatcheshirecat: **_A series of Marauder shorts based on daily prompts told from varying points of view. Lily/James 7th year._

**Who could 'DM' _possibly _be? xD ****I've started Chapter 52 already. So review for teasers and let me know what you thought...or what you think is going to happen next.**

**(I always thought this DM character had a lot more spine than JKR portrayed him to have).**

**Hope you're week goes well!**

**Love,**

**Ishani**


	52. Chapter 52:Alliances

**A/N: Well, hello there everyone :) I don't think I would have updated for a really long time unless one of my friends hadn't told me to, so if you'd like you can thank Neeraja in your reviews. :P I loved writing this chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it as much! Meet you at the bottom. (A huge huge thank you to everyone who's reading and reviewing or even just reading this story. Means the whole world and more).**

Chapter 52: Alliances

For a few minutes, the three Potters just stared at the letter.

"This has to be some sort of hoax." Harry breathed, "There is no _way _that Malfoy would turn his back on Pureblood ideals. He always struts around..." Harry trailed off when he realised that last year, Malfoy _hadn't_ been strutting around, cursing and taunting people. "Or maybe he really needs help."

James raised an eyebrow, "Why would you say that?"

"Last year, he wasn't being a Pureblood masochist; he was silent the whole time, like he knew what was coming and like he didn't want to be a part of it. I don't think Lucius Malfoy is giving Draco much of a choice. I really do think he needs the help." Harry turned to his mother to see what she thought and found her closing her eyes, concentrating. When she finally opened them, he looked at her questioningly.

"You're right. I think he really is telling the truth. He needs help." Lily nodded.

"You got that from parchment?" Harry gawked.

Lily smiled at the bewildered expression on her son's face, "I'd be able to detect a lie, yes."

Then Harry frowned and turned to look at his father, "But he's a Malfoy."

James shook his head, "You can't judge based on that. Sirius is a Black and they used to be just as bad as the Malfoys, if not worse. Look at Bellatrix, she's a Black. Both the Malfoy and Black families are Pureblood extremists, but there are always those with more sense who try to get away from all the crap."

Harry nodded, "Okay. Then let's go meet him. I want to see what the ferret has to say."

"He's selected a Muggle establishment which was rather smart of him and it's pretty near here. We only have ten minutes till the _appointment_ so let's go."Lily smiled as she started walking towards the Leaky Cauldron.

They reached the place Malfoy had mentioned with two minutes to spare. Harry took a deep breath as he stepped in. He looked for the distinct Malfoy hair and his eyes widened when he saw Malfoy sitting at the table in the corner, his normally perfect hair was a little messy and he looked paler than usual.

"Malfoy."

Malfoy looked up, "Potter. I mean Harry...Th-thank you for coming."

Harry quirked an eyebrow, nodding as his parents sat down. Taking a seat next to them he asked, "What's going on?"

"Mr and Mrs Potter, do you think I could talk to Harry alone for a while?"

James and Lily exchanged a series of glances, before looking at Harry who nodded. Lily then took a second to examine Draco, giving him a calculating look before saying, "If this turns out to be a trap of any kind, we will hurt you. Don't give us reason to."

Harry jumped slightly when he heard his mother's voice in his head,_ "If you need us, just reach out with your mind. You'll be able to alert us. You can relax though; he isn't going to do anything."_

As soon as his parents left, Harry turned to Draco and raised his eyebrows, "Alright Malfoy, cut out all the bullshit and snivelling drama. What do you want? And why have you come to me?"

"I mentioned in the letter, I want out. I don't want to be a part of the Dark Lord's army. I can't do the stuff they do," Malfoy suppressed a shudder, "I ran away two nights ago and I wasn't sure what to do. Going to Hogwarts was risky because I'd have had to travel through Wizarding towns and then my father would have definitely caught me. My father wants me to join the Death Eaters and my mother is pretty much powerless so I can't expect her to help me."

Harry rubbed his forehead, "But why come to me? Why not go to Dumbledore? Or your Aunt Andromeda?"

Shaking his head, "They would have known. The Dark Lord and my parents would have known if I'd gone to Dumbledore. As for going to Aunt Andromeda, I've never really met her and she doesn't know me. So you were really my only option."

Harry smirked a little, "I see."

"Look, P-Harry, I know we haven't been the best of friends. Hell, we've never even been acquaintances but this is a matter of my life, of my mother's life. If I ran away, it would mean that I was safe and she was safe because the Dark Lord and my father would question her and she wouldn't know where I was and so they would just leave her to cry. I won't be able to stomach the things they're planning to do. So please, Harry, I need your help."

"What they're planning to do? You know what they're planning to do?"

"Roughly. Now that everyone's aware of the Dark Lord's existence, he's going to create chaos but on a larger scale."

Malfoy had to stop himself from recoiling at the sheer rage on Harry's face.

"You do know that this isn't going to be easy Malfoy."

"I know that-"

Harry cut him off, "But do you know that this will mean that you'll have to change your lifestyle more than just slightly? You won't be able to go back to Malfoy Manor if you move out. Your stay in Slytherin in the future won't be as comfortable as it was because the rest of the future Death Eaters who don't have the sense to back out whilst they can will make life difficult for you."

"That's fine. Seriously, Potter, I know that this is the only way."

Harry nodded, "Fine. When my parents come back, we're probably going to take you to Dumbledore and decide where you're going to stay. I want you to do one thing though; I'd like you to join the DA. It'll basically be when you properly, publically renounce Voldemort."

"I can do that. Thank you,"

Harry nodded, "Alright." And then in his head, he tried to reach out to his mum and was surprised when he hit a door with his mind. "Mum, you can come back now." He felt her nod and he left her mind.

A few minutes later, James and Lily entered the restaurant and crossed to where Harry and Malfoy were seated.

"What happened?" They asked together.

Harry smiled at his parents, "Meet our new ally."

Lily raised an eyebrow and Harry rushed on to explain, "Draco was supposed to join the Death Eaters this summer but he doesn't want to be one and so he'll be killed, hence he ended up running away. Now he wants to join the fight against Voldemort but he obviously can't go back home."

"And you believed him?"

Harry bit his lip, "I may have used the little bit of Legilimency I know."

James grinned at his son proudly, "Good. Alright Draco, let's go and meet Dumbledore. He needs to know about all this." He then pointed his wand at Draco and Draco's eyes widened as he felt his hair change colour.

"You are now a brunette and your eyes are brown too. It's just so you're less recognizable." Harry informed him.

They walked to the Leaky Cauldron and Flooed straight to Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore smiled as they entered.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit James?"

"Well, Draco here has decided that he doesn't want to follow in his father's footsteps and be a Death Eater, so he ran away." James explained.

Dumbledore beamed, "That's wonderful. I must say Draco, I was rather worried about you and the rest of your Slytherin batch. Vincent, Gregory and Blaise, I understand, will have joined Voldemort's side. I'm sure you understand that now you will become a target for their attacks?"

Draco sighed and nodded, "Yeah, I know."

Dumbledore continued, "We have to find you a place to stay, so perhaps you could stay at Hogwarts or-"

Lily interrupted, "James and I thought that he could stay with us, if Harry has no objection. That way everyone will get used to having him around."

Draco looked at Lily, astonished that she would open her home to him. Dumbledore however smiled and nodded, and then looked at Harry. Harry frowned as he thought about Malfoy living with him for the rest of the summer but then he sighed, knowing that Potter Manor was one of the safest places for him and so he nodded, "Yeah, he can stay with us."

Dumbledore's smile widened, his blue eyes twinkling, "Then Mr Malfoy, you will be staying at Potter Manor till school starts again. Where are all of your belongings?"

"In my pocket." Malfoy said.

Dumbledore nodded, "Good. I also think that before Lucius decided to send out a headhunt for you, you write your parents and you tell them that you no longer wish to be associated with them. However, after that, it'll probably be best if your correspondence stops."

Draco nodded.

"Alright then, let's go home. I already mirrored Sirius and he asked Dotty to change the security features so that Draco will be allowed in." James said.

"Sirius is home?" Harry asked and when his parents nodded, he grinned, "Brilliant!"

Harry offered Draco a small smile before stepping into the fireplace and Flooing to Potter Manor. Draco sighed, feeling some of the weight life off his shoulders as he followed.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"Are you sure she's going to like the ring, Sirius?" Remus asked, rubbing his forehead worriedly.

Sirius gritted his teeth and Aurora bit back a laugh, "Moony, this is the sixth time you've asked me that question in the past half hour. She's going to love it. It's perfect for her. Now shut up." Then he said in an undertone, "Never have I missed James this much." And then to Remus, "You're worse than James was."

Remus scowled, "No I'm not. James was positive Lily was going to say no."

"And you're positive that Tonks will hate the ring. It's pretty much one and the same thing."

"It isn't."

"Is too."

"Is not."

"_Boys." _ Aurora said, smirking, "Remus, the ring is perfect. What time are you going over to meet her?"

"In about ten minutes. I'm taking her out for a picnic and then I'm going to ask her to marry me."

Sirius smiled mischievously, "What if she says no, Remy?"

"Don't be an arse, Sirius." Aurora said, cuffing him on the head.

"And don't call me Remy." Remus pouted.

"You sound like a petulant child." Sirius said.

"You _are _a petulant child."

Aurora shook her head, "Merlin, the only way this conversation could have been any worse is if James was here." She said, just as he entered the room.

A scowling James said, "That's not very nice. Nervous, Moony?"

"No. I'm pretty alright."

Lily, who had followed her husband into the room smiled. "I'm so glad you're doing this, Remus. I can't wait to see how happy she'll be."

"You don't know if she's going to be happy though, Lil." James said, impishly.

"Yeah, she might not want to marry the werewolf. She might just be in this whole relationship thing for the sex." Sirius continued.

"Keep this up and you won't be having any." Aurora said, her lips twitching as Sirius lost his smile very quickly.

Lily laughed, "We have something to say, just before you leave, Remus. Draco Malfoy ran away from Malfoy Manor. He asked us to meet him today in London and we took him to see Dumbledore. He's going to be staying here till they go back to school."

Sirius grinned, "Really? Well he's a man after my heart. Glad to hear people are following in my footsteps."

James shook his head, "Voldemort's recruiting students to join his Death Eater army. I'm glad we've given the kids a little combat training, they might need it."

Remus nodded, "Maybe you should tell Harry to continue the DA this year too?"

Lily smiled, "I think he planned on it to be honest."

"I wonder who the new DADA teacher's going to be this year." James said.

Remus shrugged, "No idea. Anyway, I'm going to go." He took a deep breath and then he smiled as his four friends came and hugged him and wished him 'good luck.'

As he left Potter Manor (with a picnic basket in his hand) and Disapparated, he felt himself being more excited than nervous. He never thought he'd find someone who was so accepting of him and so loving. As far as soulmates went, he was certain that he had found his.

Standing outside Tonks' door, he knocked and grinned as Ted Tonks opened the door. He had visited two weeks ago when Tonks was at work to ask Ted for permission to marry his daughter. Ted had beamed and pulled Remus in for a hug, welcoming him to the family.

Andromeda bustled out of the kitchen to hug Remus whilst Ted yelled for Tonks to come down. A few minutes later she did. Remus grinned at her.

Clad in a cream, floral printed skirt with a pale blue tank top. Her hair was strawberry blonde today and her eyes were an emerald green. She kissed Remus on the cheek, said bye to her parents and practically pulled her boyfriend (and soon to be fiancé) out the door.

"Hey there." Remus chuckled.

Tonks beamed at him, "Where are we off to, then?"

"Staffordshire."

Tonks looked at him in surprise and Remus grinned at her, offering her his arm and they Disapparated with a _crack_. When Tonks felt her feet place themselves on the ground, she opened her eyes and gasped.

"Oh, _Remus_, where are we?"

"Biddulph Grange Garden." Remus replied.

"It's beautiful," Tonks said as she took in her surroundings. They were standing on a bridge. Beneath them was a lake full of lily pads, with swans and ducks floating around. The garden was vast. To their left, she could see thousands of different kinds of trees, their varying colours of green all complimented each other. Some had flowers, bright ones, in red, pink and yellow. There were little cobblestone paths and she could make out the beginning (or perhaps it was the end, she couldn't tell) of a maze. To their right was a plain stretch of land and then what looked like a castle.

It made her feel calm. Being surrounded by so many colours and standing next to the man she loved. She turned to look at him, only to find that he was looking at her with a kind of love in his eyes that Tonks had only read about in stories-the stories that started with 'once upon a time' and ended with happily ever after.' She never thought that she'd experience the kind of love, never in a million years.

She felt her heart skip a beat as he put down the picnic basket and took one of her hands in his. She marvelled at how well they fit together. Her eyes fluttered shut as he moved one soft, strawberry blond tendril out of the way, tucking it safely behind her ear. And then his face moved closer to hers, inching forward slowly. She could feel the seconds passing by, her heart thudding loudly against her chest. He licked his lips, never taking his eyes off of hers and then he leaned down and captured her lips in his.

She swore for a second she felt time stop.

All too soon he pulled away, "I can't do this Dora."

"Do what?" Tonks brow furrowed, "Do what, Remus?"

"Wait. I was supposed to wait until after we have lunch but I can't. I'm too excited. Or too nervous. Or too much of both. I don't know. I just can't wait any longer."

Tonks shook her head, "I don't understa-"

She stopped talking when she saw that he'd gotten down one knee, a little velvet box in his hand. Tears pricked her eyes and she felt her throat constrict.

"Nymphadora Andromeda Tonks, you're the most incredibly remarkable woman I have ever met. I love because you're more stubborn than I am and you can put up a hell of a fight. I love you because you're so beautiful and smart. I love you because you always make me laugh, even if I don't want to. I love you because you inspire me and because you give me hope. I love you because you're everything I've always wanted and more. I'm not sure when I realised, when it really hit me exactly that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I think a part of me always knew, even when I was desperately trying not to admit how I felt about you. I still think that you can do so much better, that you deserve better, but you're happy with me and to me that's the most important thing in the world. So, Nymphadora Tonks-you're going to hit me later because I called you that twice-would you do me the honour of being my wife?"

Tonks sniffled and nodded before she squealed, "Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES."

Remus joined her laughter and pulled her in for a hug, lifting her up in his exuberance and kissing her deeply once again.

She pulled back this time, touching her forehead to his and breathed a contented little sigh. This was possibly the happiest she'd ever been in her entire life.

* * *

Lily knocked on Draco's door the next morning. She felt incredibly sorry for the boy. His parents obviously did not care about him and she couldn't even begin to imagine the horrors that he had faced when he was at Malfoy Manor. It was no secret that Bellatrix and Lucius were fanatical about Voldemort's ideals and she was certain that Draco had seen things he shouldn't have had to see and heard things he shouldn't have had to hear.

She smiled at him as he opened the door, "Good morning Draco."

Draco returned her smile shyly, "Morning Mrs Potter."

"Call me Lily. Come down breakfast. Harry's already down there and you can meet everyone else who's here too."

Draco nodded, "Okay."

They made their way downstairs and Draco was surprised to see the kitchen table full of people, most of who smiled at him and welcomed him in.

Draco nodded, taking a seat next to Harry, he gaped as Lily and a house elf began piling food into his plate. "Thanks." Everyone else was in the middle of a conversation and after they were sure that he was settled, they reverted back to it.

"Why aren't you with your fiancé anyway, Uncle Remus?" Harry asked.

"She had to go to work so I decided to come here so I could have some breakfast."

James mock-scowled, "That's all we're good for, isn't it?"

"Well I'm not exactly here for the company." Remus joked, wincing when Aurora pinched his arm.

"Is Tonks coming here? I want to see the ring." Lily said.

"I showed all of you a week ago, Lil."

Dorea shook her head, "Yes, but we want to see how it looks on her."

"Why?" Harry asked, "It's not like it's going to change shape or anything."

"Never try to understand women, Harry. They're impossible." James chuckled and then wiggled as Lily poked him painfully.

"And never say stuff like that when there are three formidable women in the same room as you are." Remus smiled and then added, "She'll be here for dinner."

Harry chuckled. Sirius, who saw Draco's half amused, half shocked expression gave him a small smile. He knew that this sort of interaction couldn't have happened in the Malfoy household and so he decided to get him to talk, "So, how are you doing Draco?"

Caught off guard, Draco's eyes widened as he hadn't really expected to be included in the conversation, "I'm okay. My parents know that I'm not coming back now."

Lily looked at him a little worried, "You wrote them a letter already?"

"Yeah, I sent it off this morning."

James nodded, "Are you worried about how they're going to react?"

Draco shook his head, "I think I know how they're going to react. They'll be disappointed and angry, and if they get a chance to hurt me they will. They're also going to write threatening letters, but it's alright because I sort of expect it."

Harry looked at Draco in surprise, realising that he deserved a lot more credit for this.

Sirius frowned, "Don't worry about it. You're safe here and if they try anything, I for one will be more than happy to help you hurt them. My family were just as bad as yours. In fact, I ran away from home when I was sixteen too."

Draco grinned and nodded, "Yeah, my mum and Aunt Bella told me about that. They said you were a disgrace to the Black name."

Sirius shrugged, "I wouldn't have it any other way. I always hated most of my family."

"Most of?" Draco asked.

"Yeah. Your Aunt Andromeda, she's fantastic. As is her husband Ted and her daughter Nymphadora. And I suppose you're not too bad either." Sirius said, teasingly.

Draco smiled, "Thanks."

Remus grinned at Draco, "So Harry and Draco, what are your plans for today?"

Draco turned to look at Harry, rather unsure of what to say. He hadn't expected everyone to accept him so quickly. In all honesty, he wasn't sure that they had. Perhaps they had accepted the fact that he had run away and switched sides, but they certainly didn't trust him. That was okay though, he figured, because really, up until the day before, he had been a part of the enemy side. He knew that he would have to prove himself. And for the first time, he was okay with that because this side had a good purpose.

Harry shrugged, "Well the Weasleys are coming over in around an hour or so with Hermione and I think Nev and Allisa are coming too, so maybe we can play some Quidditch and then we can introduce Ma-Draco to some videogames or movies."

James and Lily smiled at each other, glad that their son was handling this so maturely. It was a sign that he had grown up and as much as they hated the fact that their baby boy was growing up so soon and so quickly, they were also incredibly proud.

Draco nodded, "That sounds good. What are videogames exactly?"

Harry grinned at him, "You'll see. You'll be addicted in no time."

Draco smiled at him gratefully. He listened as they started talking about other things again. An hour later, when the Weasleys children came with Hermione, he felt a little nervous wondering how they were all going to react.

When Neville, Allisa and Theodore Nott came, Harry had everyone sit down in the living room. He'd written to all of them yesterday, telling them that Draco Malfoy has switched sides but he figured all of them would want a proper explanation.

"Hey guys." Harry grinned.

Draco felt a small tug of both jealousy and loneliness when they all hugged him. He'd never had a close relationship with anyone. Not his mother or his father, nor his psychotic aunt. The only person he felt he could talk to was his godfather, Snape, but he wasn't really sure how that was going to work out now. But Potter, it seemed was on good terms with everyone. His father and his mother loved him and were obviously very proud of him. His father's best friends looked at him as a sort of pseudo son. All of his friends were there for him no matter what. Crabbe and Goyle had always been his puppets, more than his friends and last year it was obvious that they thought that Zabini had more Death Eater potential than he did-which he was thankful for. He shook the thoughts out of his head as Harry started to talk about him.

"So Draco decided that he didn't want to be a Death Eater and he contacted me. He's decided to switch sides taking on quite a large risk personally. I know that we don't see eye to eye exactly, but I think he's changed and we're going to give him a chance."

Theodore Nott nodded at Draco, "Good on you, mate. Listen, if the other Slytherins give you trouble, and trust me they will, you stick to the people who are in the DA."

Draco nodded back, "I will yeah, thanks."

Ron eyed Draco, "Look Malfoy, I don't trust you. I don't think you've suddenly had a change of heart and decided to change sides too!"

"Neither do we." Fred and George said, stonily.

Harry was about to open his mouth but Hermione said, "Give him a chance you guys. He ran away from home, that couldn't have been easy, leaving his family. Give him a chance."

Draco looked at her in surprise as did Ron. She looked at Draco, "If Harry thinks that you deserve a chance, then I do too."

While all this happened, Ginny was trying to analyse his emotions and was surprised to find a mixture of so many. She tried to separate them out. She felt his nervousness, his pain that he was feeling because he felt as though he had no family. She also felt that he like had been through a lot more than any of them had thought. He also had many walls in his mind. He was a lot, she realised, like Sirius.

"Draco," Ginny started, giving him a small smile as he turned to look at her, "Everyone here may not trust you, it might take a while and it probably won't be easy, but it'll be worth it. We're all here to help you if you need it. I for one, think that it's brilliant that you turned your back on the Dark Arts; simultaneously turning your back on your family and that can't be easy. Some of us here," she looked pointedly at her brothers, "are too callous to understand that it must have been difficult for you, especially because in order to do so, you had to swallow your pride and ask for help from a person you don't particularly like. So, I'm going to give you a chance too. But if you give me a reason to hurt you, I will."

Draco smiled slightly, "Thanks, Weasley."

Ginny beamed at him, "Call me Ginny."

Harry raised his eyebrows at Neville and Allisa who still hadn't said anything.

Neville shrugged, "I'm glad you decided to change sides."

Allisa bit her lip, "So am I."

Harry grinned, "Alright, now that's done, how about we play some Quidditch?"

Draco nodded. They split into teams-Hermione, Allisa and Neville opted out of playing and decided to watch instead. Draco, Ginny and Fred were in one team and Harry, Ron and George were in the other. They played for a good two hours, Fred, George and Ron very reluctantly admitted that Draco was a pretty good player. They stopped for lunch, which they had with Aurora, Sirius and Lily and then decided to play some videogames, which Draco did get addicted to.

After that, they played some board games too and Draco found that he could actually laugh and relax a little. Even though he had his walls up, he felt himself feeling a little more comfortable. He kept catching Allisa's eye and each time he did, he couldn't help but be a like awestruck by her beauty. Her eyes twinkled when she smiled and they were the prettiest blue he'd ever seen. Her mouth was a pale pink colour and he noticed that she would chew on the left side whenever she was thinking. Then he shook his head silently, knowing that she was too good for him and giving up on the spot.

By dinner time, Potter Manor was full of even more people. Allisa and Theo had left just before as their parents wanted them home for dinner-their father wasn't really the social sort, but Tonks, Mr and Mrs Weasley and Kingsley had been invited. James explained that Draco had run away and changed sides and to his surprise, Draco had been pulled in for one of Mrs Weasley's hugs. Tonks (who was his cousin) had clapped him on the back and congratulated him for seeing sense and he had congratulated her on getting engaged. She'd beamed at him and ruffled his hair. Kingsley had been a little cold, but Draco figured that he had to start somewhere.

He smiled to himself, realising that running away was probably the best decision he had ever made.

**A/N: How was that, then? **

**I know I promised that I'd try and update sooner but this year is going to be incredibly busy. Quite frankly, I barely have time to breathe in between all my classes and college and so you're going to have to continue to be very _very _patient with me. I have started to write Chapter 53, so I'll be able to send you some teasers. The coming year is going to be amazingly fun to write. I can't waaaait!**

**Also if I don't reply to your reviews, it isn't because I haven't read them, it's just because I haven't gotten around to it yet. I promise I will though. I'm sorry if I'm late :3**

**Some recs now:**

**1. That Elusive Aha Moment **_by_** Wilhelmina Willoughby:**_ L/J. The Aha Moment: a point in time when something finally clicks. Everyone realizes that there's something more between James and Lily, though it takes some people longer than others. James has always been a slow learner._

**It's a oneshot but it's absolutely adorable! Very ideal for a quick read when you want to be cheered up :)**

**2. Through A Glass Darkly **_by_** EHWIES:**_ Nothing's fair in love and war anymore. xx The sixth and seventh years. JPLE, MMSB_

**Another really really good story! Definitely deserves more recognition. :)**

**And finally...**

**3. Letters **_by_** GhostOfBambi: **_Abandoned by her best friend and suffering the torment of her hideous older sister - and her sister's hideous boyfriend, Lily Evans thought she was in for a boring summer. James Potter had other ideas._

**This is a MUST read. It's adorable and so well-written that it'll make you smile for aaages after you're done reading! **

**Let me know what you thought about this chapter! Do you think Draco will be a huge asset when Voldemort attacks? And what did you think about Remus and Tonks getting engaged? Reviews get a sneak peek!**

**Hope you're having an amazing weekend :)**

**Love always,**

**Ishani.**


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